21st Century HIPPIE

Happy Individual Peacefully Pursuing Immaterial Enlightenment

Born in the early 70’s to a beautiful and eccentric woman who attended the Haight-Ashbury Summer of Love in 1967 and raised her children in a way that was reflective of her free and peaceful way of thinking and living, I would grow to be more like her than I ever could have imagined.

As far back as I can remember, we frequented local health food stores with our mother in her favorite red VW Microbus EZ Camper. We drank banana smoothies, ate carob candy bars and preferred alfalfa sprouts on our tuna sandwiches.

We often delighted in fresh carrot juice from our father’s ACME Supreme Juicerator and fresh milk from our Alpine goats. We raised Rhode Island Red chickens, a brown cow that we named Lucille and a couple of pigs (in addition to my brothers, haha.) One of our favorite things was when our father baked bread from scratch. We devoured it fresh out of the oven slathered in butter.

Our health was important to our father. He insisted that our meals be made from scratch using fresh ingredients. Cooking for his family was something he loved and today we share a multitude of fond memories of the meals and treats he made for us during our childhood.

I know I am fortunate to have been raised by those two vibrant beings. Their love, kindness and daily examples shaped the person I am today; a relentlessly optimistic lover of all things peaceful and natural.

- Liz