My "Reason why"

Everybody's got one: a reason why; a defining moment where you have to change; where in many ways you've already changed. Let me tell you about mine.

Though I was a cop’s daughter, crime always seem to find its way in. Eventually I needed to find a way out. 

The first few chapters of my life could be written as a series of burglaries: For the first half dozen incidents I was five, when I either hid when the buggers broke in or I did the breaking in. It’s true. I was a felon at five, hoisted up through windows to unlock doors. A number of years passed before the next set of burglaries found my family, and when the very last one, the big kahuna of a grand finale smashed through our kitchen door, wearing military fatigues and a familiar smile, my kid brother did not survive. He was 14. I was 22.

This may seem an odd way to begin, but it’s my beginning. It is the truest explanation for what I do, because what happened to my family became my reason why; what brought me to a place I vowed to not return to. I would, come hell or high water, make my life better, my kids safer, my body healthier. I have to tell you it DID take a bit of experimenting.

I began in the kitchen, where I cooked comfort food before graduating to plant-based recipes with alternative grains, legumes and superfoods. It was the 80’s man and I wanted in on the health food revolution! 

Then I went into the salon where I unleashed my pent-up creativity, painting with hair color and shaping with scissors. I loved the medium of hair, as well as the the people! 

Then I found my way onto a yoga mat and eventually a meditation cushion, which made my life even better, but still not enough. 

So finally, after years of believing an education was too wonderful for me, I went back to school. As a single mother I nailed down a bachelors in social science, literature and writing at Oregon State University - Cascades, before I began the real work―to combine everything I loved into my life’s work. 

Plant-based nutrition became a passion for the environment. Yoga and meditation became a model to build healthy habits easier and faster. Soon the lifestyle and the practices shined a light on the salon work, so that morphed into a holistic beauty business model with the addition of Green Circle recycling and Kevin Murphy products and hair color.

I blog and podcast about it all here in my backyard’s purple writing shed, and post it on the website, hoping that my journey and how I see it helps you.

Try one of the recipes. Read a blog post. Order environmentally conscious, superior performing hair products.

Thank you for reading and welcome! Together we can be healthier, more beautiful and take care of the planet!

Kathryn, one wild green soul.