Suz's Pic

Born and raised in Kent, Washington, I now am a bonus mom of two children, happily married, and living in Tacoma. I currently work at Starbucks where I have made coffee for happy customers since 2001. A recent strong pull to go back to school and finish my bachelor’s degree, has brought me to The Evergreen State College in 2005 to finish with a master’s degree in education and teaching. When I finish school, I plan on teaching math and science to middle school students, a career that desperately needs motivated and creative people to make a difference in a child’s life.

As a continuing student of Healing Gardens, I hope to bring my ever-expanding knowledge into the garden to educate others and begin to gain a clearer understanding of botany and plant biology, in a way only a garden can teach you.

As requested, here's my creation story...

My Creation Story: Where it all began?

There once was a great creator, who spent many years developing a perfect place for all his friends. He placed trees in forests to give shelter to the land and plants below, and to give beauty to the sun in the sky above. He put water in the oceans to make traveling easier on those who were without legs, and to provide the basis of life on his lands. And he placed sand in the desert to warm the land he created. He placed deer and bears in the woods, fish and whales in the oceans, and snakes and lizards in the deserts. All of these lands and animals lived peacefully and beautifully until he realized that he needed a friend to help care for all his many beautiful creations. He created humans to tend to the land and help care for the animals. The humans learned how to use each plant to heal and nourish. They tended to each plant’s needs so that the plants would provide bountiful berries and hardy roots every harvest season. They even learned how to care for The Creator’s animals when they were wounded. In return the plants and animals would sacrifice themselves to nourish the humans. His plan was beautiful until he began seeing horrible changes to the landscape. The humans had changed every part of his plan from how they tended the plants to how they treated the animals. It was only then that he realized what needed to change. He created earthquakes to sift the over-utilized land, created floods to put nourishment back into the land, and created hurricanes to stir up the waters. Those who created the unplanned change were forced back to The Creator’s plan and those who continued the plan were spared.

This story illustrates both the value of harmony that once was created between humans, animals, and plants, as well as demonstrates how things will change because too much change has happened over time. It shows the importance of working with the land to grow sustainable and natural food, as well as caring for the animals for what they give us. This is my story of how it all began, and how it could all end.