Dóchas

I thought I'd give up the blog- I know, only a few posts and she throws in the towel! I've been finding it hard to think of stuff to write, and telling myself that nobody would be interested anyway.
However, the comments left on my last post have encouraged me now to keep going for another while, so here goes.
I've been doing an aromatherapy project recently. My brother is going to South Africa for a week in September to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. I promised to help with his fundraising, and as people seem to love the aromatherapy creams that I make, this seemed a good way of raising some money. Certainly easier than hosting a coffee morning or cake sale!
So I did a bit of research on oil-yielding plants that grow in South Africa and ones from Ireland. I came up with a combination of: Lavender (but of course! It seems a cliché, but it really is a fantastic oil) and Geranium grow in both countries, Vetiver and Lemongrass grow in South Africa. I made up a blend of those 4 in a cream, and my contribution was to cover the costs, so the full price of the jar of cream would go to Habitat for Humanity.
Then I sent a group text to more or less everybody whose mobile number I had in my phone, and the response was instant and amazing- sold 60 jars at €10 each! Needless to say, brother is delighted to have a €600 extra to his fundraising. I called the cream "Dóchas" which is Irish for "Hope". I hope it will be the beginning of a better life for at least some families out there. Here, it seems that everyone's a winner- people got a lovely cream for their money and maybe got an introduction to aromatherapy ( I like to hope that we have even one new fan!) and I got to learn more about the oils and a bit of feel-good factor too!