Volume I, Issue 2 Nov/Dec 2003 |
Sowing
the Seeds |
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Inside this Issue: Fall Garage Sale and Raffle Success Where do your donations go? Holiday giving with SSOLE November/ December success story Braised Brussels Sprouts from Cooking with SSOLE History of the Christmas Tree The 2003 Leonid Meteor Showers What's New at SSOLE Essential Oil Blends at the Retreat Center |
Fall Garage Sale and Raffle Success | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Each fall
we begin our fundraising season with our annual raffle and garage
sale. As both events draw to a close this year, we want to thank you
all for your donations and support. You made these events a success! Our three day total for the garage sale and accompanying bake sale came to just over $6,300. This is the equivalent of almost two full tuition grants, or music lessons and instrument rentals for a year for three children through SSOLE. Your combined efforts also helped |
sell over 900 raffle tickets,
allowing us to raise just over $2,800. Another awsome success. Events like our garage sale and raffle do more than just help us raise much needed funds. They allow us to introduce ourselves to the greater community, helping us to form lasting alliances and relationships with people and groups who help us make a difference. It was amazing to see how people responded to both events when they understood that they were supporting a great cause, while |
getting a good deal, a
raffle ticket, or some delicious baked goods. One of the amazing things that came out of this event is our ongoing weekly bake sale. Our goodies sold so well, and were so enjoyed, that Horizon, a local business, invited us to sell our cookies and cakes at their store each week. This will generate almost $240 a month for SSOLE. If you are interested in having SSOLE bake for you or your business, let us know! We would be happy to provide you with goodies. |
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| Where do your donations go? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Did you know that during the 2003 school
year, SSOLE granted over $80,000 in tuition assistance to children
in Washington, or that 85% of all funds donated to SSOLE are directed
to our Education Foundation? This means that your donations go |
directly to your intended recipient.
By donating through our child sponsorship programs, you can specify
not only the student you wish to help, but the school or program. Donations to our Free Clinic and Retreat Center are treated the same |
way. We are happy to offer you a breakdown,
and show you the path your money takes each time you make a donation. We take great pride in ensuring theat your funds make a difference! |
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| You can also request a copy of the SSOLE
Holiday Gift Guide. It has complete listings of the gifts we have
available for this holiday season! Including baskets, oils, knit-wares,
and much more! Call us at 425 456 0344 to request your copy today. Download Gift Guide (pdf) |
Holiday Giving with SSOLE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This holiday season, we are pleased
to announce a new gift giving program at SSOLE. Our sponsorship program allows you to select the child, school or program you would like to support, as well as the amoung of your donation, giving you flexibility and control over the direction your donation takes. Donations can be set up as one time grants, or as monthly payments, allowing you to contribute an amount that works for |
you, for as long as you like. 100% of
the funds donated to SSOLE via the sponsorship program go to the intended
recipient. You can choose to support a child through music education programs, by funding our free medical clinic, making a donation towards a specific child's upcoming school year, or by making an anonymous grant to SSOLE, allowing us to direct your donation to the child |
or program who needs it most. |
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| November/December Success Story | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This month we would like to highlight
the story of a young girl. Her name has been omitted for reasons of
privacy. At just 7 years of age, our recipient had been the victim of kidnapping and long term abuse. The courts had taken her away from her biological mother, and placed her in the care of a grandparent in Washington state. |
Her grandmother came to us, knowing
that her granddaughter needed a place to heal without the pressures
of the public school system. She needed an environment where she could
heal, and be cared for without judgment. we provided the family with complete tuition for the year. Giving her grandmother the |
freedom to direct funds towards therapy,
and her many other needs. This year she has been reunited with her mother, and is with great happiness in our hearts that we can say her time as a recipient of a SSOLE grant gave her the strength to conquer the challenges she faced this year with strength and success. |
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| Copies of cooking with
SSOLE are still available. They make a great holiday gift, and at
just $20.00 are a bargain. Call us at 425 456 0334 to reserve your copy today! |
Braised Brussels Sprouts from Cooking with SSOLE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brussels Sprouts are one of our favorite fall vegetables. There is something magical about their earthy aroma and their delicate flavor. The following recipe from Cooking with SSOLE highlights their earthiness with rich garlic and butter. A must at our Thanksgiving table! |
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the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and Brussels sprouts cut side down. Cook for 3 minutes without stiring them. letting them begin to brown. Turn the heat to low, add the vegetable broth and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, or untill all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and serve! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The History of the Christmas Tree | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The history of the evergreen is longer than most of us imagine. The ancient Egyptians worshipped evergreens, bring date palm leaves into their homes for solstice symbolizing life's triumph over death. Romans celebrated winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia. The decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. In Great Britain, Druids used evergreens during winter solstice rituals. Using holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, placing | evergreen branches over doors to keep
away evil spirits. In the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed
evergreen inside their homes to show their hope for the forthcoming
spring. Martin Luther began the modern tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One Christams Eve, around 1500, while walking through woods, he was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. When he got home, |
he set up a fir tree indoors and decorated
it with candles, lighted in honor of Christ's birth. This tradition came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution. It wasn't until 1851 when a Catskill farmer hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City that a market for trees was born. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was universal. |
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| The 2003 Leonid Meteor Showers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If you are fortunate enough to see the
storm of shooting stars predicted for November 18th peak of the Leonid
meteor shower, you'll be watching a similar event, which some scientists
say brought down the world's first civilizations. This year's Leonids will offer an interesting twist. There will be not just one shower, but three. The first arrives Nov. 13 and the last on Nov. 19. The Leonids are so |
named because the shower's radiant
point, is located withing the constellation of Leo, the Lion. The
Leonids are caused by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which sweeps through
the inner solar system every 33 years. Each time the comet passes
closest to the Sun it leaves a river of rubble in its wake, a dense
trail of dusty debris. The debris disintegrates in fiery flashes as
it enters Earth's atmosphere. The first encounter |
is forecast to occur on Nov. 13 at 12:17pm.
EST. Earth will pass within about 243,000 miles of dust trail shed
by Tempel-Tuttle in the year 1499. The second encounter is expected at 2:28 am EST Nov 19m when Earth will sweep to within the trail of comet dust ejected in 1533. The final production will be centered around 12:25 am EST Nov. 19. Be sure to get out and enjoy it! |
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| What's new at SSOLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tehama
Gold Olive Oil
We are proud to offer Tehama Gold Olive Oil for sale at our retreat center. This pure unfiltered extra virgin olive oil is handcrafted, allowing each batch to take on the characteristics of its own particular grove and growing season. The oil is cold processed and uses only mature fruit, |
providing you with the maximum nutritional
benefit. This is a clean, pure and whole food. Each bottle is available for $18.00, with $6.00 going directly to SSOLE. Please call us today to place your order. It makes a great gift, and is perfect for the gourmand on your list! |
Ingrid
Suess-Harkelroad, LMP
Ingrid is offering her wonderful massage skills at the SSOLE Retreat Center, and is currently scheduling appointments for the holiday season. A massage is a wonderful gift to give yourself during the stressful months ahead. As a special offer Ingrid is offering $10.00 |
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| Essential Oil Blends at the Retreat Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The SSOLE Retreat Center is now offering
a unique range of aromatherapeutic oil blends, perfect for use everyday.
Each bottle is hand blended, and in a 3.5 ounce roller bottle for
ease of application. Jubilation, a joyful blend to up lift and delight the senses. A loving blend of 6 essential oils in a base of apricot kernel oil. Uplifting notes of tangerine, vanilla nectar, fennel, coriander seed, monsoon rose attar and rose rue are the hallmark of this blend. Revival, a rejuvanative blend of 7 essential oils for exhaustion, fatigue and stress relief in a base of apricot kernel and tea oil. |
Heady notes of black spruce, peppermint,
Himalayan cedar, frankincense, French lavendar and Cistus. Repair, A healing blend for bumps, bruise and burns. 5 essential oils carefullly crafted in a base of apricot kernel oil. The healing properties of Lavender, helichrysum, angelica seed, St. Johns Wort and Niaouli make up this blend. Pick Me Up, A citrus/mint blend for study fatigue, or just to give you a lift. Blended lemon, grapefruit, tangerine and peppermint make this an invigorating oil for everyday, |
Happy Heart,
A blend for calming the heart and lifting the spirits, notes of Ylang
Ylang, rose chamomile and jasmine blended in apricot kernel oil. Bottles will be available online, and at the retreat center. Call us today to place your order, or for more information. These make great additions to gift baskets! Prices range from $12.00 to $15.00. |
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| Raffle Winners | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Congratulations to all the winners of our fall raffle. We drew our prizes October 30th at 5:00pm. We sold over 935 tickets, allowing us to raise a total of $2,805. Thank you all for your support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| copyright 2002 Dynamic Design Studios | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
