Eugenia Essentials

A Tribute to My Belly Dance Sisters

Those who know me know that belly dance has been an interest of mine for quite a number of years now. My one regret is that I discovered it so late in life; however, it came to me at a time when I needed deep healing from a tragedy. It provided a focus, a way [...]

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One woman’s flowers, another woman’s weeds

Across the road from my childhood home used to be an empty field. Oh how I loved to play there! Summer time would blanket it in Queen Anne’s Lace, and one day I picked my mother a bouquet. I thought she would appreciate these flowers as much as I did. They fascinated me, so many [...]

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Coincidence or Synchronicity?

Has something like this ever happened to you? I was driving along on my way home from work one day, enjoying the passing scenery even though I had driven this route a thousand times before. The late afternoon sun cast a pretty golden glow over the landscape and all the colors seemed intensified.  I noticed [...]

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Jojoba Oil

Referring to Jojoba as oil is a misnomer as it is actually a liquid wax. The shrub plant (Simmondsia chinensis) is native to the deserts of Arizona, California and Northwestern Mexico. The wax is expeller pressed from the seeds after labor intensive hand harvesting. Hand harvesting is necessary because the seeds do not ripen at [...]

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Neroli, the Princess’ Favorite

The time is not far off when the air in Central Florida will be heavy with the intoxicating sweet scent of orange blossoms. One of the most fragrant is the bitter orange blossom. The bitter orange tree yields three distinct oils, one from the blossoms: Neroli; the rind of the fruit: bitter orange; and the [...]

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