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Meet Miriam Kresh
Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
I'm a Jewish woman, 49 years old, twice married and mother of four. I
live in the central region Israel, not far from Tel Aviv, and have dual
American/Israel citizenship. I've lived in Brazil and Venezuela and
speak Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew and English.
The three kids from my first marriage are all grown up and out of the
house: my elder daughter is married and three months ago made a Grandma
out of me! Love it! My second husband and I have a girlchick almost 7
years old. It's great having a little one around at our ages!
Where do you live? Please share with us some of your history- how
you
got to where you are, how you met your husband, etc.
I grew up in a traditional, although not Orthodox, Jewish home. Over
time and travels, I became more observant, and my decision to come to
Israel grew from my growing commitment to an Orthodox way of life. (Not
every Jew coming here is religious or wants to be of course.) In my
early twenties, I felt ready to get married and start a family, so I
made use of the "shidduch" system: the traditional way of meeting
eligible people of the opposite sex with the intention of finding a life
partner. This can be arranged by family, friends, even a paid marriage
broker. My first husband and I met through the housemother of the
seminary where I was studying and one of his teachers. We had three
children, then recognizing our basic incompatibility, we went our
separate ways.
I was not at all interested in meeting guys again or marrying. I was
busy bringing up the kids, working as a secretary and learning about
herbs, plus retraining as a doulah and as a Shiatsu masseuse in the
evenings. My time was fully taken up with these activities, plus
hosting friends on the Sabbath and having my parents over frequently. At
some point, mutual friends decided to put Yosef and me together, and
although I resisted their phone calls for over a year, I at last agreed to
meet him. Now I regret the wasted year, a year of being with my real
intended. Yosef, our little girl and I first lived in the rural north of
Israel, but my elderly parents asked us to move to their town as they
felt in need of our support. We did so, and spend time with my parents
almost daily. Taking care of them is one my most important roles at this
time.
How did you become interested in soap and toiletry making?
We have a family member who suffers from psoriasis. I realized that
detergent soaps were making his condition worse, and so resolved to
learn how to make pure soap from ingredients as natural as possible. A
friend in the States sent me Susan Cavitch Miller's "Soap
Companion"
and I never looked back.
What made you decide to take this interest to the next level, and to
go
into business?
The neighbors and my friends kept coming over and asking to buy some of
that wonderful soap. I had been looking for an alternative way to make
some income, and I realized that if well managed, soapmaking could
become it. The key is "well managed"; it has taken me lots of
time and
heartache to learn how to run a business. I would do it differently
today, by not starting the business until I had a trusted partner. It
is a mistake to undertake any enterprise alone, I think, at least for
me. Recently I've downscaled and eliminated all the toiletries and gift
baskets from my website, and find I'm doing much better concentrating on
the soaps.
What is your favorite thing about soap and toiletry making?
First, the creative satisfaction. Then, knowing that people are enjoying
and benefiting from my products. Then, I have met and conversed with
such interesting people since I've started to market my soaps
professionally. Finally, I am not ashamed to say that I like to see the
money come in.
Do you have any funny soaping stories to share?
I am not timid when it comes to new techniques: I jump right in,
sometimes rashly. My first soaps were pretty awful. One I particularly
remember was colored deep pink with onion skin tea and fragranced with
clary sage. I poured it into a Pringles can. You know the inside of a
Pringles can is sort of wrinkly...well, when I forced the soap out of
its Pringles mold, the family was standing around waiting to see what
miracle of beauty would emerge... it looked like a salami. We used the
"salami soap" anyway, but I kept some as a souvenir. By the way,
the
pink faded over a few months.
Another time was about a year later, when I graduated to larger batches
of 120 bars. My grasp of milk and sugars in soap wasn't very good then,
but I wanted to make 120 bars of GM and honey soap. My temperatures were
on the warm side, but I thought that was OK, little realizing how
crucial it is to have both lye and oils cool when using milk and
sugar-rich ingredients. I was stirring womanfully away with my
squirrel-cage mixer, watching the soap in the bucket thicken up, then I
realized with alarm that it was starting to harden right there in the
bucket! I pulled that bucket up, turned it upside-down in the wooden
mold, and struggled to get the soap out, banging on the sides and
bottom - when it finally slid out, there was a perfect soap replica of a
bucket, standing upright and hotter than a pistol already. I took a big
knife and cut that guy to pieces, mashing down the mass of soap into the
wooden mold, sweating, swearing, and hoping the gel would smooth out
the lumpy mess. It did, more or less. I smoothed it over as much as I
could, and insulated it well - as it gelled, I stirred and smoothed it
out some more. Whew! That taught me to lower my temperatures when
dealing with milk and honey. I don't think I'll ever forget that mountain
of soap, complete with the writing on the bucket's bottom engraved on it,
standing there waiting for me to do something.
How did you find Soapnuts? What do you like best about the list?
An email friend told me about "these wild and crazy soapers"...her
words, not mine ;). I've learned, and continue to learn, plenty from
the list...and I like the feeling of keeping in touch with what soapers
are doing in the States...and of course, it's a lot of fun! Haven't
spent any time in the dungeon, though...can I bring a poster of Hugh
Jackman? There, now you know my secret crush...but don't tell Yosef,
please.
What are your other interests and hobbies besides soapmaking?
I am an enthusiastic homebrewer and love to make country wines. In
addition, I have recently become interested in cheesemaking. Things
made from scratch interest me; sourdough bread, vinegar, all the
family's toiletries...I do draw the line at making my own lye out of
wood ashes, though. Not enough room to burn a tree and store the ashes
in a barrel around the apartment.
We all know that you use herbs extensively- how did that begin, and
how
do you incorporate them into your every day life?
My mother brought us up using a few basic herbs: bay leaves for
menstrual cramps, chamomile for soothing a cold, mint for upset
stomach. I grew up thinking of herbal practice as normal and friendly.
As an adult moving into the alternative world, and especially as a
doulah, I learned more of the power of herbs. I started taking courses
and putting my knowledge into practice more and more. There are several
populations here with ancient herbal traditions: the Russians, the
Ethiopians, and the Yemenites, especially. I like to chat and take
notes with anyone, especially old people, who likes to talk about the
way they use herbs. My greatest influence however was Dr. Mina Faran,
the foremost Israeli herbologist, with whom I studied over several
years.
How do I use herbs? As medicines, in tinctures, teas, oils and salves,
aromatherapy being a minor practice; as cosmetics, herbs are infused
into almost all my soaps and toiletries; as food, well, I can tell you
that any soup that I put dandelion, nettles or mallows in gets more
compliments those without. And many of my wines are based on medicinal
herbs: hawthorn, mead infused with herbs, etc . You can tell it's
springtime in my house without going outdoors: bunches of herbs hanging from nails all over the place, wire baskets with wild greens to be
washed sitting in the sink, jars full of chickweed (or plantain, or
marigolds) and olive oil heating up in simmering water baths on the
stove...
What are some other interests and hobbies you would like to
explore?
I have recently become curious about the life of the common man in the
Elizabethan era.
Look out your window first thing in the morning, and share with us
what
you see, what your thoughts are...
In my windowsill, ginger, nasturtiums, lavender, comfrey, geraniums, and
flower bulbs nod in the winter wind. Lots of chickweed in the potted
plants too, and I like that. We eat chickweed in salad and I am a big
fan of chickweed in salves. Some big grey clouds crossing the blue hint
at welcome rain - we are a country perpetually struggling with drought,
and every drop is precious. A couple of crows from the gang that haunts
the neighborhood trees hop on the telephone wire across the parking
area. I like crows, for some reason. They are intelligent and wily
birds, faithful to their mates and showing even a certain family
feeling. New building going up where a lovely neglected lot was; I
would gather wild oats, hibiscus, nettles, and others there...sad to see
those wild remnants going under the bulldozer. Shall I spend time in the
kitchen today, or will I allow my wandering feet to lead me on a hunt
for plantain and cleavers? Guess which will win, duty or inclination? I'll go online and see what orders have come in. Yawn...let's hope the
morning news don't announce any new heartstopping disasters (this is the
reality of the times we live in).
It is February, when many Nuts' thoughts turn to love (sigh). Do
you
have a "recipe for romance" you would like to share? This can be
food,
drink, toiletries, fragrance, soap, or even some advice or ideas for a
nice
romantic interlude..."
Hot, early love doesn't need much except lace underwear, a little
vanilla, rose and sandalwood in the diffuser, and some privacy, I
think. Although wine and chocolate don't hurt anytime you have romance
in mind. But I used to sell different massage oils, and one I modestly
called "Happy Home" (sounds much more elegant in Hebrew) was a big
seller with married couples. Set up an evening away from the kids and
the phone - put some of the above eos in the diffuser - share a little
wine, or for those who abstain, a cup of chocolate with a little ground
chili in it - and use this recipe for a mutual massage. Don't forget the
CD playing sensual music...and most of all, take the time to love
generously.
Adapted from "The Aromatherapy Companion", by Victoria H. Edwards
2 oz. almond oil (60 grams)
2 oz. glycerin (60 grams)
20 drops patchouli eo
20 drops clove eo
10 drops cinnamon eo
20 drops rose eo
10 drops sandalwood eo
Do not apply around the eyes or the genital area, as the cinnamon will
irritate those parts.
Anything else you would like to add or address??
I've just about written a book here. I do want to add my thanks to
Becky, Camille, the list co-moderators, and all the Nuts, for creating and
maintaining this
wonderful place for soapers to learn, grow, and share. The influence of
your efforts will last a long, long time.
~ Miriam Kresh
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