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s I mentioned yesterday, I subscribed to Mother Earth News magazine, and usually read it cover to cover. The beginnings of my life as the sprout lady began after I read an article from the Nov./Dec. 1978 issue. The front cover had a star with a caption inside which read “Earn $1,000 a month Growing Sprouts”. I can not tell you how many times I read that article, but, I can tell you that I said to myself,”Someday I am going to do that!” I still have the magazine, and I began growing sprouts in my tiny kitchen.
In another issue of the same magazine, I saw an ad for a live-in housekeeper, girl Friday position in Florida. I researched the address, found out the chiropractors name, and submitted a photo of my daughter and myself with a brief letter of my interest in health and desire to some day be a massage therapist. I sent it special delivery. The chiropractor called me several days later and I ended up flying down for an interview. I left Sarah with my folks and took a flight, staying in Bradenton for several days. Although I decided to not take the position, I took the opportunity to hop over to Cocoa Beach and visit friends. Someone there offered to let me stay with them until I could get settled, should I decide to return to the sunny south with Sarah in tow. I accepted the offer.
I packed our belongings and shipped them UPS, purchased a futon over the phone and had it delivered to FL and then bought a one way ticket. Sarah and I moved to Cocoa Beach right before her third birthday. It was less than a month from the time I had committed to return to my second home.
Within weeks of my arrival, I had connected with some of the people at the local co-op, but I was having trouble finding a place for us to live. I got a job with a dear friend, Lydia, who had a lawn maintence business. And then one day at the co-op, I met a guy who was looking for someone to take over his lease. He wanted to go out west and study with Dr. Christopher Hill. Needing a place to live, I bicycled down to Woodland Ave. to check out his one bedroom duplex, 3 blocks from the ocean. It was the perfect place for Sarah and I, so, I told Rainbow Jim that I would take over the lease. Then he said the most beautiful thing to me. “Oh, by the way, I am growing the sprouts for the co-op, if you are interested, you can take over growing them.” Another example of the Law of Attraction happening in my life!
I took to sprouting like a duck to water! I named the business LIVING GREENS …our business is growing. Although the business started with 3 women, it eventually became all mine, and I loved growing my business. I grew sprouts, buckwheat lettuce and sunflower greens and lots of wheatgrass. I also made tabbouleh, raw hummus & raw sauerkraut. At first I delivered only to the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area. Then I got a car and expanded the route to include Melbourne Beach, Melbourne and Cocoa.
It seemed that everyone loved the sprouts. I could not grow enough to meet the demand and I continually shorted the wholesale produce account that I had in order to fill the stores & restaurants that went direct with me. I loved being the Sprout Lady, but, my secret darkness kept coming back. I had an intense fear of success. Making mistakes came easily to me, and when things were going well, I had the uncanny ability to self sabotage. I certainly knew how to do things the hard way.
