With great sadness we are announcing the upcoming closing/sale of all Northern California Café Gratitude’s.

A series of aggressive lawsuits has brought us to this unfortunate choice. Although we believe that we have done nothing wrong and our policies are completely legal, it will cost us too much money to defend them in court.  Despite telling the attorneys that brought the lawsuits that the current structure and resources of Café Gratitude are insufficient to sustain and defend our community, they have refused to give up and are forcing us to close.

This week, I would like to share with you about the experience of loss.  I have been very present to loss these last few weeks.  I’ve been noticing the faces of people on the street – thinking that I see someone I know, and startling myself back when they are not there.  I’ve been daydreaming and catching visions in the leaves, rolling my mind around times that have past.  I became aware, in those musings, that there would be a time when I would look back on today, on this present moment in my life, with the same longing that I feel now for other times.

“Impermanence is not a theory. It’s happening every moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Greetings! My name is Shoshana Frumkin, and I have been committed to health, healing and transformation most of my life. What drives me is a deep desire for us to heal our wounds together, recover our connection to the power of love, healing our hearts and health while enjoying meaningful connection and taking care of our planet.

If working a full-time job in production does not take enough toll on a mother's life, she has a 2nd job going home after work - taking care of her spouse and children.  Millions of women in our society do what needs to be done to handle it all.  With fast growing, lovely and smart children, our forever joyful kitchen staff, Nelly Lizama not only juggles this challenge well, but also assists other people needing help along the way! 
When I see Nelly's teenage daughter and her 'tres-amigos' - Isabel, Nancy, and Margarita - tidy up our offices and cocina-central each week, I am touched by their consistent, quiet hard work to keep the work space clean, pleasant and eco-friendly !  Sometimes, I bring them a Horchata or give them a Cafe Gratitude gift card I purchased on payday to dine after work.

So, to Nelly, who is always smiling and singing while making Soups, Crackers, preparing Vegetables, etc. in the Cafe Gratitude Kitchen for over 5 years, I say....."Gracias Madre" !

This recipe is brought to you by Robin Mast, five star chef turned IT director (ours, in fact!).  She delighted us by bringing some into the office the other day, and I must say, it is an absolute show-stopper.

We are happy to be home on the farm and looking forward to serving free meals at San Rafael, San Francisco and Berkeley Cafe Gratitudes on Thursday. We plan on serving over 1000 people, once again, for our 8th year. While times are currently challenging, our Thanksgiving feast is so much a part of who we are that we are choosing to serve once more. Come join us and let's all GIVE THANKS TOGETHER!

We had volunteers from the San Rafael Cafe on the farm today as well as a Chaplain from Kaiser Hospital who knit us all winter caps to keep us warm. You can see Bernadino, Javier, Matthew and I in our matching hats enjoying our time together just after the community lunch. We are so grateful! Thank you Gina Rose. The cow stall got cleaned out today and new hay was spread in preparation for the upcoming birth, still a few weeks away. We had enchiladas, cheesy cauliflower, pea sprouts, spicy salsa and farm made wine for lunch today (just a taste of wine as chores are still happening). What a sweet day it has been. The broccoli and cauliflower are beautiful and being served in our Cafes. Stop by and enjoy the local harvest. We love you all and are GRATEFUL beyond measure. Happy Thanksgiving, we GIVE THANKS for you!

Love. Terces

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” – Cicero

Each year, Americans take one day to give thanks for all that we have in our lives.  At Café Gratitude, we think that giving thanks is so important that we ask our employees, our customers, our vendors, and people driving behind us on the road to do it every single day.  If you haven’t seen our bumper sticker before, it poses the question, “What are you grateful for?”

Tis the season for colder nights, extra hot tea in the morning, and wearing a scarf just for good measure before venturing out into the elements. It’s almost Winter and if the weather doesn’t give you that impression, your garden will. Now is the time for plants to start winding down, grounding into the earth a bit more, and for buds to go to sleep rather than bloom. As a gardener, I mourn my roses, calendula and lavender this time of year. I’m so fortunate to be able to go out and pick flowers most of the year - for baths, salads and tea making, but when it ceases in the winter it can be a bit rough to take. One thing that gets me through this horticultural lull, is by bringing the nature that is left this time of year indoors for some at-home apothecarian projects. Our skin is our largest organ, absorbing so much throughout the day and night - and this time of year is important to nourish it as much as possible. Crafting your own organic, botanically infused bath and beauty products can be easy and a great way to ward off the dehydration caused by the cold and rough skin this chilly season can induce.
Here is one recipe that motivated me to start my organic bath/beauty line, Garden Apothecary (www.gardenapothecary.etsy.com). Projects like this inspire me to create healing treatments for my customers, using organic, whole botanicals. Try this one for yourself:

Honey Mask -
Ingredients: -Raw, local honey (you can find at a farmer’s market or local natural food store).
-Petals (this time of year try using any left over geranium, pansy or marigold petals) 1. Take about 3 tbsp of honey and about 2 flower heads of petals, and emulsify together in your hands. The mixture will be tacky at first, quickly becoming soft and creamy with the heat of your finger tips. 2. Apply to your freshly washed face and neck. 3. Let sit for about 30 minutes. The honey mask will never dry, but will warm up from your body heat, allowing your skin to absorb the nutrients from the petals and honey.
4. With warm water, wash the mask off your face and neck, and pat dry with a soft towel. You face will feel incredibly clean and fresh!

*To really indulge your skin, apply the honey/petal mask above, then shower your face, neck and hair with Garden Apothecary’s organic rose water refresher - this can be found at any Cafe Gratitude store or online (www.gardenapothecary.etsy.com).
This post is brought to you by Jenn of Dirty Girl Gardening.

San Francisco based company I AM. recently launched with Soulwears, a line of Yoga bags & straps made of  back-strap woven textiles: the traditional craft of Maya women in Guatemala. I AM.’s mission is to develop commercial solutions to social problems.

The idea: conscious consumption can unite the world, empower consumers & artisans simultaneously and alleviate poverty.  Soulwears yoga products are reinvigorating an otherwise abandoned market for backstrap woven textiles, which were replaced long ago with cheap, machine made fabrics. Practicing this craft allows Maya mothers to stay home with their families, while making a sustainable income.

I AM.’s commitment extends beyond providing well-paying jobs, as the company donates half of all profits to infrastructure projects in their weavers’ communities. 

With 1 week left – and $27,000 still needed in an ambitious Kickstarter campaign, I AM. seeks the support of the mindful community.  Visit the I AM. Kickstarter page to learn more about the project, and pre-order socially responsible yoga products.

Leadership training this weekend was so inspiring. Matthew and I kept on saying to one another, "look at_________(we could fill in so many names), how amazing they are!" What a powerful group of leaders out in the world fulfilling on their commitments! What a tremendous community they are. This was their final weekend of an eight month course, with people gathering from all over the country. I am so grateful for each one of you.
Winter mornings and nights have us warming up around a campfire. Leche is starting to show signs of an upcoming birth, and we are so excited. I'll keep you posted.
Persimmons and pomegranates are just about ready for picking. Walnuts are off the trees drying in the barn. Our wine has been filtered once and the flavor is amazing.
Our community is seeing legal threats as an opportunity to crank up the love! How wonderful is that? We couldn't have asked for better partners for keeping our attention on gratitude!
Love you all,
Terces