Blog July 13th, 2016
This is my story
Today I feel compelled to write about how Third Day Soaps Garden was formed. It seems that each time I tell this story I’m hesitant, it takes me a few moments and tears, to get it all written down. There is a certain element to writing a story that is good and also a reminder of who you are genetically. The only reason this story is important is because of the connection to my mother who gave me the inspiration in the first place. The truth is I miss my mother as much now as I did when I was a small child when you are left at school for the first time. I don’t mean for this story to be sad but enlightening. My mother was a great communicator with her children. She spent her whole life nurturing and caring for her 6 children. What I can say is I was one of them she put a lot of time into. She taught me the importance of growing your own vegetables, herbs and how to can them. I still remember the spring and summers mornings when I would leave the house and be met by Lavender, Mint, Rosemary and Thyme sitting on the porch in cute little pots. The smell was amazing! Today, because of the good and nourishing things she passed on to me; is the reason I am who I am today. OMG! My mother was an excellent cook! Being African American she had those meals seasoned and tasting awesome. As for her culinary expertise; she was a self-taught chef. We didn’t just have ribs, greens and macaroni and cheese; my mother made stuffed chicken breast with Zucchini and Squash. She was making tri-colored twisted homemade yeast bread and homemade jellies and jams. As a young girl around the ages of She would make dishes from the Julia Child’s “the way to cook book” the New York Times cookbook” We never ate vegetables out the can. I had never heard of vegetables in a can until I was at least 18 years old. My mother was also a professional tailor and seamstress. She worked for several local television celebrities, like Eleanor Shannon, Bill Cardils Wife to name a few. I always had the latest Vogue, Butterick, and McCall Pattern clothes to wear. Her interest in good skin care products was passed onto me too. I remember taking a day trip to our local department store in Pittsburgh; Kaufmann’s, Joseph Horne’s and Max Azen’s a high end clothing store. We would prance around the cosmetic counters spraying perfume, trying on makeup and chatting with the salesladies we became friends with. My mom’s favorite moisturizer was Estee Lauders ”Swiss performing extract”. She loved the fragrances of Azure’, Blue Gardenia, and I’m certain that’s where my modeling career developed. But, that’s another Blog. I will blog about it sometime soon. It’s no wonder; I’m an excellent cook, gardener and skin care enthusiast. My mothers’ encouraging support has helped me to become a successful entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry. Somewhere around the mid-1970’s my mother was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Her ability to eat healthy and remain educated on the subject became her life. As we all know there is no cure for diabetes. You must eat healthy check you glucose levels and exercise. As the years progressed; so did my mother’s diabetes. She died August 21rd, 2003; she was only 73 years old. I was devastated to say the least. She always talked about how much she missed her garden. I always wondered why she did too. Seemed like a lot of work. Yes, the veggies are delicious but, you won’t see me out in no yard digging and planting I thought. My mother’s health started failing fast. I had an idea to start a garden the same spring she died. It’s funny how God works’. My mother would visit me at my home and give me tips on gardening. I would make lunch for us and she would nap and talk to me about gardening, family and such. She enjoyed sitting on my back porch in a cozy rocking chair I bought just for her. She said to me one day during a visit; “I sure miss my garden at my old house”. Her next words where “sitting here reminds me of my garden at my old house’’ I still cry when I remember her voice and her relaxed, happy and intent look on her face. At my mom’s wake I had brought vegetables from my garden. I brought tomatos , cucumbers, dilled pickles. As people where leaving I gave them a bag and told them to take what they wanted. It was something my mother I think would have been proud of. My mother never got to see them but she left me with such sweet memories and the desire to grow a garden. I have had one every year since. You see, my mother was one of the main reasons I finished college. I was a single mother raising a son. My son Blake spent many a days with her while I was in school or working. She was my rock, my emotional motivator my therapist, my friend, my confidant; but most of all she was a great listener and she was a wonderful mother. I will be forever proud of her and the love and sacrifice she demonstrated with her children. After many years of contemplating what I wanted to do with my career; it hit me! I took some time off from work as the administrative secretary for a major non-profit and decided to embark on a quest to find it. I had a big book collection because I enjoy reading and researching; anything I like or enjoy I have a book for it. Do you remember the magazine book club’s that you could buy by membership 10 books for 99cent? I purchased a book called “Soap making” by Norma Coney. Now let’s see, my degree is in Marketing and Communications; not chemistry…hmmm. How was I going to pull this one off? Because I love to read and research, I took a stab at it. The book was quite intense. I read the book at least 15 or more times so to understand each step of how to make soap from scratch. I made my first batch of olive oil handmade soap on November 5th, 2003. It was a hit! The soap came out perfect….the rest is history, the here and now, the future and a born Legacy! In 2005 Third Day Soap Garden was born.
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Be blessed on your journey in this universe.
Cynthia Hill, President
Third Day Soaps Garden