• Poppy seed grinder — Adjustable grind; also grinds flax, sesame, spices, pepper and small amounts of grain.
• Corn starch flatware — Re-usable but can be thrown in your compost pile. iI you are having a big party or other event, we have plenty.
• Seventh Generation paperplates from recycled fibers.
• Guatemalan hammocks. — Large (2 people), strong, all cotton, colorful.
• Diva Cup — Reusable menstrual cup made from medical-grade 100% hypoallergenic silicon
• Sun Hats with UV protection.
• BioBags Dog Poop Bags made from corn starch — 100% compostable/100% biodegradable; degrades in 45 days (compare with 1 - 5 years for Oops I Pooped bags).
• Cocoa Fiber Doormats — Very thick, 2 designs.
• Nitrile Garden Gloves — Latex-free.
• Mildew Stain Away — Chlorine-free, non-toxic, biodegradable. Use on clothes, shower curtains, wall, shoes, etc.
• Wide-mouth Thermos — One and 1.5 pint. Great for taking home-cooked leftovers to work.
• Stainless Steel Coffee Press/Thermos — Unbreakable; great for travel; keeps coffee/tea hot .
• Orange Juice Presses in Shocking Pink, Vanilla Cream, Maine Blue.
• Microplane Graters & Zesters — The popular razor-sharp graters and famous zester now available at your favorite kitchen store.
• Lodge Logic Cast Iron — Pre-seasoned cast iron; three sizes of skillets, grill pan, griddle.

• Air Pump Pot – 2 Quart
• Yogurt makers
• French cookware – stainless steel, carbon steel and enameled cast iron
• Select Salt & pepper sets
• Barbecue tools

If you have a special occasion coming up, wedding, birthday, shower, new home, keep in mind that we offer a gift registration at Mirador. It’s simple: you come into the store and make a list of the items you’re interested in and we add that to our website with your name and the event date. Local shoppers just come by and check out what you have on the list and folks out of town check the website and order by e-mail or phone.

And for the event, think about Plantable Confetti. Indeed for any special occasion, toss in the air, cover with soil, water as needed and results are lovely flowers to commemorate the day.

Division/Clinton Street Fair

Join us July 23rd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Division/Clinton Street Fair. Things really get going at 11:00 a.m. when the parade takes place from 20th to 39th. The parade is open to participants so if you have an interest in marching along we can put you in touch with the organizers. All up and down the street there will be kids events, food, sales, community awareness tables and crafts for sale.

Two things about Mirador specific to this day. We have hired local entertainer Joe Mishkin to be in our parking lot from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Joe is just a riot – he juggles, he makes jokes and his balloon art is out of this world. Great for kids of all ages. Also, we open our parking lot to anyone that wants to sell their art that day, read tarot cards or promote their non-profit. Just let us know if you are interested.

DVD/Video Tape Rental

We are now renting select DVDs and video tapes — we have videos on yoga, pilates, raw foods, sprouting and healthy food preparation. $3.00 gets you a week’s rental and can be applied toward the purchase of a new DVD or video tape.

Incense 101

Incenses are aromatic substances often combined and then shaped into various forms. When burnt, aromas are released into the air. Some people merely enjoy the smell while others says that the scents actually encourage specific feelings such as calmness or love. Incenses are made in several forms.

We have one of the largest incense collections in Portland. But incense remains a bit cloudy even to long-time users. So I thought that an ongoing column on incense is in order.

Today’s topic is on the main types of incense.

• Indian-style or stick This in the most familiar to Americans and the largest group. This incense consists of a bamboo stick onto which incense is applied. It comes mostly from India, with some Americans picking up the craft in recent years. There are several forms of stick incense. Stick incenses come in several forms. We will talk more about those in a later newsletter
• Chinese-style This incense is made by making a “batter” of herbs, spices, resins, woods, barks and other natural ingredients and then extruding it into thin spaghetti-like sticks. There is no wooden stick inside the incense, so the sticks are fragile. This incense was developed in China but Japan took the technology and has really perfected it. This type is also made in Korea. It tends to be a lot milder and less smoky than Indian-style incenses. I would also say it is more refined, subtle and more natural smelling; very nice for people who don’t like a lot of scent but do like some.
• Cone. This is usually a masala that has been shaped into a small cone. Made by both Indians and Japanese.
• Dhoop This is a masala that has been shaped into a thick cylinder. Made by both Indians and Tibetans.
• Traditional This is “raw” incense — merely aromatic resins, grasses, herbs and woods burnt on hot charcoal. This will be a subject of a later column.