It is always interesting and helpful to find out what motivates a person to do what they do. This page is designed to give you some biographical information about me and a little history of my involvement in herbs!

Since this is a "biographical" sketch, I want to say first and foremost that only by the grace and mercy of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave His life for me, I am born into the family of God and am assured on the authority of His Eternal Word, that I have a future in heaven, with Him for eternity. That does sound bold and presumptuous to many, I am sure, but you can know the same for yourself, regardless of how unworthy you feel of God's love! Because He loves you. He died for you and He lives to claim you for His own. No other God has lived, died and been raised from the dead ever in the history of the world for YOU! Absolutely amazing! Just toss aside your preconceived religious ideas for a minute and think about THAT!

Somewhere around 1983, after my husband and I were married for about 10 years and had our five children, he began to have symptoms which had plagued him on and off all his life. This time the symptoms did not let up and he suffered with severe diarrhea for three months nonstop! This prompted some attention. The usual medications he had taken previously were not doing a thing. Someone heard about our plight and made it a point to visit with us. He told us of his experience which was nearly identical. After a two year bout and having exhausted every conventional resource, this gentleman tried herbs and noticed a twelve hour turn around! (By the way at the time this gentleman was in his seventies, and he is still alive and fairly well in his nineties!) We were kind of backed into a corner. We did not have resources to waste on something which would not work, so we thought, why not? Therefore, we made an appointment with the same lady who had helped him and that was the beginning of a conversion from using conventional medicine and thinking to where I am today. Needless to say, my husband recovered and has not had to address this problem again to this day!

Prior to this pivotal event, I had had a long term interest in nutrition, health and such. However, because of conflicting ideas, the confusion of various points of view, as well as my personal preferences for foods I was unwilling to part with, I did not explore this extensively! I had a degree in Foods and Nutrition from Kansas State University which indicates this long held interest. However, with five little children and a husband who was well from a potentially serious disorder, I began to read, to take classes and just devoured all the information I could get a hold of. It was so exciting to see such amazing results, not only with him, but with the children, myself and others! I could not believe that managing previously expensive, difficult, painful problems could be so easy. I began to realize with great awe just how amazingly God has created us and how understanding His ways in the physical realm paralleled so well with principles which were true in the spiritual realm. I am still learning about this and pray that the eyes of my understanding may be continually more open. Since I am the type of person who has a passion to share my ideas with others and I found out I really enjoyed teaching, I began to share this with others initially by having a few mothers over at a time. I still use some of the same material I drew up then.

Over the years this has grown into a small business, but I still enjoy teaching. In recent years there is much more openness to herbs and natural health than even 15-20 years ago. However, as more companies want a share in the financial pie, there is also a heightened confusion over it all. When I learned about Nature's Sunshine way back in the early 80's, about how the body works, how it heals and the basic tenets of health, I knew I had some parameters to work within...a paradigm which gave direction and stability to set me on course. Nature's Sunshine's philosophy about marketing and helping others coincided with my viewpoint....just help people and the rewards will take care of themselves. The quality and integrity of the company and the product was (and is) unsurpassed. The training they offered, the very large product line...about everything one needed was right at the fingertips for me and those I worked with. NSP has been great. It would be difficult to find a more user-friendly company. To this day about 95% of my product line is Nature's Sunshine, known among the industry as the "Cadillac" company for their herbal products.

As a "stay at home mother," I worked out of my home for most of my "business life," which more or less began on a serious level when the children were in their teens and in public school. Gradually, we added a basement to our home, from which the business continued to grow for about 2 more years. However, in March of 2000, the location of The Herb House was moved to a small shop in Inman, where it is presently located. I have enjoyed "separating" my life somewhat and feeling that when I am home now, I am not "at work."

Over the years, as mentioned earlier, I took classes...classes on iridology, muscle testing, and various other topics. I certified as a Certified Natural Health Professional by taking classes in iridology, nutrition, body systems, body work and a practicum. Some of these I have taken more than once. I have attended numerous Nature's Sunshine schools and studied under Ron Logan, a well known iridologist from Kansas City. I have taught seminars and classes at various times and locations...some in other states.

Seeing people get well is very gratifying to me, but seeing them grasp the bigger picture...that they are responsible for their health and that they can take charge is equally rewarding. The light bulbs tend to go on very slowly as people begin to grasp this. I know it took me awhile! Reading good books, listening to tapes and attending classes can be some of the best investing one can do for their health...and it is quite inexpensive!

One of my passions is to help young mothers, so that they can chart a healthy course for their families. Many young women today have not had much training in basics...how to prepare healthy meals, how to address health issues as they come along, how to make wise decisions about vaccines and the 1001 issues that they must address in the course of raising children.

I have always loved to be in the kitchen, having grown up on a farm where gardening, canning, baking and "basic" living were everyday fare. If time and energy permit, I enjoy having classes where teaching about how to eat and cook can be presented.

Now my five children are grown and don't demand the kind of time it takes to rear a growing family. I have more flexibility to the way I spend my time and run this business. Please check out other pages on this site for classes, books, tapes and information which can help you help yourself to better health!