Sunday, October 23, 2011

Well, our first craft show of the season is behind us. I'm always a little nervous about the first one - mainly because it is the furthest one away, and a bit hard to read. The rest of our shows are in this area where people know us. We did see some familiar faces yesterday and we are getting to know the Carson City regulars so that makes it fun. We didn't take as much to this one, but we still did better than the two previous years. It's funny because my soap just doesn't sell in Carson City, but the primitives do very well. The pantry side of the business isn't quite as high there either. But our last two shows of the season pretty much leave all of our inventory depleted.  We have some very faithful supporters and they help us keep going. Each venue has its own personality and it is a challenge to decide what we will take to each show.

We got quite a few stocking orders the last few days. I did these this week, but still have about 10 to go in the batch. We are at over a hundred already which is good. I was a little worried about how these would sell since so many people are tightening their belts these days. Here is part of this week's batch of stockings.

 It's fun to be a part of so many families' Christmas!

Word of the day:
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. John of Capistrano, Priest (1386-1456)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 22:34-40.

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,
and one of them (a scholar of the law) tested him by asking,
Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?
He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Ah, yes. Remember last January when I said I would get a jump start on this fall? I say it every year, and for the month of January I am one busy bee. And then comes February and I back off a bit because, after all, I have several more months to get it together. March follows and Maple Syrup season starts, the Church prepares for Easter and things get hectic. And, oh, by the way, I forgot that the Maple Syrup Festival is coming up in April. And so goes the year. And here I am, in October, looking down the nose of our first craft show of the season and wondering where the year went. October 15, is my official day to break out the Christmas music and it zipped by me unnoticed.

This year's craft shows will be a bit of a challenge.  One Sugar Bush girl is pregnant, due in December, and recently received the news that she is on bed rest.  (And by bed rest I mean sitting in the recliner with her feet up, frantically sewing up the Christmas Stockings that should have been on the shelf by the end of summer.)  And we have another Sugar Bush girl who is pregnant and due right about the time of the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival.  Do you detect a theme here?  Anna and I will be enlisting the aid of our friend Dottie.  :)

Oh, and then I get an inspiration for some tea lights that I absolutely have to pounce on while it is fresh in my elderly brain.  And did I forget to mention that the guys are in the fields?  That always adds to the fun as they scramble to find food while we women are off doing our craft show thing.

Yes, fall is my favorite time of year - just wish I would stick to my work schedule during the rest of the year so it wouldn't be so hectic.  But then, maybe that's all part of the fun.

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Paul of the Cross, Priest (1693-1775), St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin, Virgin (1888-1922)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12:49-53.

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Been making more grungy tea lights.  Once I get an idea, it just naggles in my brain until I exhaust all possibilities. 

Thursday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Edward the Confessor († 1066)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:47-54.

Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute'
in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."
When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

Monday, October 10, 2011

I am so far behind on this blog it isn't funny. Between changes at church (which is where I work when I'm not here doing Sugar Bush or Grandma stuff) and trying to get ready for craft shows, I don't know if I'm coming or going. The guys are in the fields which means I virtually have no life.  One of the other farm wives said we are "Call girls."  We don't dare start any kind of project because we are sure to get "called" from it to run someone somewhere or feed someone. This year the guys are using "organic" fertilizer.  And by organic, I mean that it stinks royally around here.  Hopefully, once it is chisel plowed it won't be a problem. 

I had Meghan and Madison this morning and after they went home I had to run to Mt. P. because King H is out of coffee creamer.  I didn't mind because I know how attached I am to MY morning coffee with creamer.  I just received an order of coffee from another family business.  Of course, it is my job to test our new products.  OMG.  Right now I am drinking decaf pumpkin spice.  It smells like a coffee shop in here.  If this doesn't sell, it won't break my heart because I am pretty sure I can handle using it myself.  The other flavors are Maple Syrup, Apple Cobbler, Autumn Harvest, Caramel Apple and another that I can't think of at the moment.

When I got home from Mount Pleasant I had just enough time to finish a new grungy tealight that we will have available for the October shows.  When I get a creative strike, nothing else gets done.  Today was laundry day.  It didn't get done.  :)   Last night I made a snowman tealight.  I loved it so much,

that I had to do an autumn one.  I love grungy primitives and these are very grungy.  LOL!

Clayton had a soccer game today in Shepherd so I headed up there to watch it.  Saw some family and friends, and a former student with her adorable baby.  I love living in a small town.

We've been trying not to spend any more money than necessary, but I'm afraid we are keeping with our tradition of going into the fall craft shows in the hole.  And I had a big shock last week when one of the organizers of one of our biggest shows said that she had not heard from us and did we still plan to be at the show.  I found a copy of the information along with the check, but could find no record of the check being cashed.  She said she didn't think we would be able to have the second space that we have had in the past. (We usually have a 10x10 and a 10x12)  I was just sick.  This is the Keepsake Collection show in Mt. Pleasant and we have begun to have a good following there.  But she called back and said that she was able to get another 10x10 space. I am grateful it was available - and in the same place we've always been.  I am so glad she thought to call us - that was above and beyond and I really appreciate it!!

At the moment we are caught up on Christmas stockings, but generally things start to jump around October 15.  We shall see.


Monday of the Twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church : In Canada : Thanksgiving Day
Saint(s) of the day : St. Francis Borgia, Priest (1510-1572)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:29-32.

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, «This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Wow, it's been over a week since I've updated this blog. Not a whole lot to report. I haven't had time to make any soap and I have a ton of it to package up and get ready for the craft shows. All of the fall soaps are cured and now I'm wondering if we will have enough to get us through.

So far we are staying caught up on stockings, but I'm sure that is going to change in a week or so. We are at 62 for the season so far.

All of the grandkids were here this morning so it was a bit of a zoo. It was fun, though. I really don't know how I got so much done when we had four little ones.

The guys started the soybeans today which means I live my life between possible field runs. No soapmaking during the day because of possible interruptions. Thank goodness it isn't like this all year long.

I started in on the guest room declutter. That room is driving me nuts at the moment. Well, actually, the whole house is driving me nuts but I gotta start somewhere. Some stuff is easy to let go of, but there are other things, like the dresses I wore for the kids' weddings, the bridesmaid dresses from those same weddings - thinks like that. Those will probably stay in the back of the closet. 

 

Monday of the Twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Gerard of Brogne, Abbot († 959)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10:25-37.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.'
Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."