Friday, May 13, 2016

Well, Friday is my designated cleaning day - and here I am on the computer.  Hmmmm.  It's all good - my day starts at 10:00.

Alas, I had to say goodbye to my number one container wax supplier.  When the wax is good, it is very, very good, but when it is bad it leaves terrible sink holes that need a heat gun application.  That gets old very fast.  This is the second batch I have had that has not been great.  Soooooo, I found a new supplier.  This new wax is a bit gooey - like very thick vaseline - and is not fun to measure out, but it makes beautiful candles.

It has been quite a challenge to keep on top of inventory, but I think once I get used to it and do it regularly, it will get a lot easier.  

Here is a bit of what I have been working on lately

Yesterday was "work in the shop" day because I had a funeral to play for on Wednesday.  It was a muggy warm day and there was absolutely no street traffic down town.   It gave me a chance to spruce up the room a bit and take inventory.  I really need to make more of the small jar candles.  Here is a video of what our shop looks like.

The noise you hear is the creaky floor.  LOL!

Time to get back to work.  I am making slow progress in each room, but now I am able to actually see that I am making headway.  It's all about focus!  My goal for the day is the kitchen, laundry room, and living room.  

But I did take a little break to make a spring flicker lamp. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Wow!  My last post was February!  I didn't realize how long it had been until Nina asked me if I had posted recently.  I took a look at my last post and a few of the pictures have disappeared.  Arghhh!!  Since February I have finished quite a few quilts.

Maddie's quilt pic disappeared from my last post so here is her quilt.

 I also finished Meghan's Quilt

Here is my quilt for the challenge at the Maple Syrup Festival.  (I took first!)

And here is Ben with his quilt.  He was emphatic that the quilt had to have combines on it.

About a month ago, a friend approached me with a business proposition.  She and her business partner purchased a building in downtown Alma.  It was a former office building and they are renting out rooms to businesses to set up boutiques.

  

I was a bit nervous about committing to a monthly rent, but so far things are working out very well. This is so opportune because Anna is getting married in January and wants to back off from the business.  I have taken over her end of the operations and Kelli has been brought in to help make mixes.  Melisa will join us if time permits when school is out for the summer.  It has been a challenge to keep on top of inventory, labeling, stocking, etc, but once the learning curve is over, things should run more smoothly.  Where we used to concentrate on fall and spring, I am now trying to figure out product for the year round.  We will be cutting back on our craft shows, concentrating on the two shows in Shepherd.  I will do a couple of smaller ones with Kelli and Nicola. 

I have been subbing at St. Vincent de Paul in Shepherd.  They have a fantastic keyboard guy, but he needs a break every now and then, plus he teaches during the school year so I have been covering funerals.  It is just enough to keep my hand in and I am loving it.  Most Sundays will find me juggling a twin on my knee.  Life couldn't be better.  

I have been listening to some podcasts on organizing and those have really helped me focus.  I have better structure to my work week and I have limited myself to quilting on Sundays only (for the time being).  I am currently working on a retirement quilt for the administrator at St. Vincent who will be retiring in June.  

I am doing some repair work on one of Nina's quilts and then I will be only working on a quilt for Anna and Michael.  It is a double wedding ring quilt and I am doing the Eleanor Burns applique version.  

Eleanor Burns Double Wedding Ring Quilt

Today was a frantic product making day.  I usually work at the store on Wednesdays, but today I had a funeral which means I work tomorrow which is my usual product making day.  We did a batch of Potato Soup and 2 batches of brownie mix.  Yesterday and today I made 4 batches of jar candles, 1 batch of tart melts, and still have room spray to do plus the labeling of the mixes we made today.  All of this is to re-stock the shop - which is a good thing. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

I mentioned a new blog I had found the other day -  http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/.  I have started reading from the beginning.  So many things this lady writes about hit home with me.  I have struggled all my life with disorganization and messiness - that horrible feeling when people drop by unannounced, the disapproving looks from people people you secretly admire for their efficiency.  All of it.  My earliest memories of clutter induced chaos are the weekly piano lessons I took as a child.  Every single week was a panicked last minute search for my piano books which I hadn't touched since my last lesson.  Today I still routinely have to search for my phone before leaving the house.  Organization is not my gift but it is a virtue I strive for.  So, in the spirit of Dana White, I am combining a couple of my blogs and putting it all out here.  She starts off her daily blog with a checklist of things she has accomplished.  Seeing that list must make her feel proud.  Cleanies don't get that - it's like "duh," but those of us that struggle often have self-esteem issues and those daily props can really make a difference.  So is my list for this morning:

Emptied dishwasher
Cleaned off washer and dryer (the dryer is a particular hot spot)
Put all of the things destined for my basement workroom into a tote to take down when I go to work.
Did 4 months of taxes for our business (sales tax is due in February)

Later, I hauled all of the stuff to the basement,
Made a batch of candles

Made a batch of wax melts  Actually, I made two - they were scented with cinnamon sticks. 

 However, when I went to pour the first batch I was not happy to see purple wax filling the clamshells.  Ugh
Packaged up the tarts and candles
Made stockings - yeah, in February - that's how far ahead we have to do it.  :)
Went back downstairs to do something and all of a sudden I started having awful spasms in my back.  The last time that happened was in Alaska, but I knew what had caused it.  I have no idea why my back went out.

Hobbled upstairs and decided since I couldn't attend my meeting, I would spend the evening finishing Claire's quilt.   I can't wait to give it to her. Finished the binding, washed the quilt (now the washer is leaking), and set up my quilting machine for tomorrow.

Put a chicken in the roaster to slow cook all night.  We raise huge chickens and this one didn't quite fit, but I put foil over the top and now I am heading off to bed.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Happy First of February! 
I am celebrating 2 pounds lost this week.  I can't remember if I talked about what I am doing regarding diet.  Basically, Monday-Saturday I stay below 50 carbs.  For me that results in ketosis.  Ketosis is the state in which the body is burning fat rather than glucose for fuel. This is the only thing that works for me in that it keeps my appetite in check.  It keeps the sugar cravings at bay and regulates my blood sugar.  On Sunday I can have whatever I want - not a pig out, but just a "normal people" day.  This has worked out well for me, for the last two weeks anyway.  Yesterday we attended a birthday party.  Pizza, cake, ice cream.  Tonight I am back in ketosis.  I'm not sure I quite believe it, but my ketonix swears that I am there.  Ketonix is a device that measures the ketone level in breath.  Green means small amount, yellow means medium, and red is high.  Earlier it registered red but I was sure that couldn't be.  I indulged quite a bit yesterday.  Not overboard, but definitely not lowcarb.

Last week while listening to a podcast called Organize365, I heard about another organizing podcast.  This one is called "A Slob Comes Clean."  One of my goals for the year has been to get this house in some kind of order.  For the last 2 weeks my sink has been shiny every night before I go to bed.  It makes me smile to walk into it in the morning for my coffee and see everything in order.  I love clean house, I just find it a challenge to get it that way.   So, dishes done by bedtime was my first babystep goal.  My second goal was to have the laundry done and put away by bed time on Monday night.  I've done that the last two Mondays.  I love both of the podcasts, but the "Slob" one just sounds like a kindred spirit.  People who are naturally neat and organized just don't understand the struggle for those of us that aren't.  I have taken a lot of heat over the years because of it.  Some deserved, some just mean.  Oh well.  I have learned to forgive myself for not being perfect.  (I haven't forgotten about Area 1 in the laundry room.  Still working on that, but taxes are looming.)

This morning I did the Monday chore of bill paying and bank book reconciling.  Harold and I are both paper challenged.  I have instituted a new system because I was totally messed up on the bill paying.  Some didn't get paid, and some got paid twice.  Harold is not on board yet, but he will be  - I say this with more optimism than I actually feel
.   
I did some more incremental straightening in the basement workroom and made a batch of candles while I was down there.   I am growing to LOVE this scent.

I also made a week's worth of lowcarb burrito casserole.  After lunch dishes, I headed for my quilt room.  I gave myself a break from stocking making in January, but I am now back at it.  So I am on that schedule again.  Got my stocking quota done for the day and then decided to layer the quilt I finished piecing last night.  This is the Frozen quilt that Maddie was asking about.    I am still on a learning curve with my quilting machine, but I pick up more confidence each time I use it.  I initially quilted the faces on the quilt, but then decided I didn't like the way it looked so I picked out all of the "face" stitches. No, Ana does not have a wart on her chin. I have a pin marking the spot where I need to secure the stitching I removed.

I also did a bit more work on the rug I've been making.  It's good for my hands which are feeling the pains of arthritis.

Now I am heading off to bed because tomorrow is a Ben day.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

It has been a busy and productive week.  Monday was soap day 

I am testing out a new fragrance.  The soap has darkened since I cut it.  It will eventually turn a dark brown.  

Tuesday I made stockings for an order and started a quilt.  I had intended to start a quilt for our granddaughter, Claire, but I can't find the fabric she picked out.  

I also made Valentine wax melts.  These are scented with a blend of bergomot, honey, and other lovely scents.  It's one of my favorites. 

Wednesday was housework day (but I ditched it to work on the quilt) and I packaged up some potpourri that has been curing for a couple of months.  I use a lot of fragrance oil and it takes quite a while to soak in.

We also went to grandson, Clay's winter concert.  We were quite a way back in the auditorium so the pic isn't great.  He is the one in the middle of the back row.

Today I made Valentine candles (and I worked on the quilt.)  

About 10 this morning, Sam asked if he could drop the twins off for a couple of hours while he worked on the family vehicle. Grandpa found an excuse to come home and get some twin time in.  He is attempting (without any luck) to take a selfie.

Ten minutes later I walked in to find this.  But Grandpa is faking it.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

I just heard that the government is cracking down on the amount of sugar we should be consuming and easing up on coffee and salt.  Actually, the government is the last place I'd go for diet advice, but glad to hear they are catching up.  After all, I am pretty sure that coffee is a food group.

Yesterday I went to lunch with two friends.  It was a pleasant time!  Afterwards I stopped in at the office at St. Mary and chatted with a couple of former co-workers.  The ache is starting to heal a bit.  I stopped in because I am working on a scent blend that smells like Chrism and I wanted an opinion on how close I am.  Todd will be ordained to the permanent deaconate in 2017 and a former Shepherd student will be ordained to the priesthood.  Diane and Todd both liked the scent, but I want to tweak it a bit more.  I decided to go to the staff party on Sunday.  I am ready to heal.   I have also decided to remain in the Diocesan choir.  

Wednesday nights are Word and Communion services at St. Patrick.  I have decided to attend those.  I like the people and the fellowship.  Clay and Claire went with Harold and I.

Last night I bottled the rest of the Peppermint foaming soap and today I made a batch of Country Apple.  

I have been having a ball designing labels.  I have started purchasing from a company online that has templates for the labels.  It is much easier to keep organized and to experiment with new designs.  They may be a bit more expensive, but the time I save trying to use PSE is worth something.

I just finished the stocking order that came in a few days ago.  They need to be sewn and made ready to ship.  I also forced myself to go up into the attic and organize and sort my inventory.  

I ordered a graphic for a grungy jar candle that I want to make available at the Shepherd Maple Syrup festival - but before I do that I gave myself one major project for the day.   I have to sort and put away the laundry.  Tomorrow the Christmas stuff gets put away.  I leave the winter decor out until Lent so basically the tree and the Santa stuff has to go.  The porch lights stay.  

Today I am getting my diet under control.  With the stress at the church over the last few months, I did a lot of stress eating and gained about 20 pounds.  Need to get on the stick with that.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Today was a Ben day.  Ben loves to go to the library where his friend "Mr. Mike" is the director of children's services.  Ben has changed so much since we first started going there.  When we first started going he would not leave my lap and didn't really join in much with the singing.  Over the year he has come out of his shell, has made a few friends, and hardly knows I'm there.  Today's topic was magnets.  

                         

After story hour we headed to Walmart to pick up some smooth-sided pint-sized canning jars.  Over the last few months I have really gotten into making grungy candle jars.  I've tried the embossed kind but prefer the look of the smooth side.  I have started leaving the area under the picure "un-grunged" so that as the candle burns it seems to come to life.

Last night I made a batch of lavender soap.  I like to pre-measure my batches and limit the icky job of measuring out the oils to once a month.  I used my last batch last night so next week I have that fun chore again.   I have a bad habit of cutting the soap a bit too soon.  I find it hard to wait and see how the swirls in the soap turned out.  Since I now go down to watch Ben on Tuesdays, I didn't have time this morning to cut it and take a peek.  I unmolded it, but it sat like this until I came home and had time to cut it.

I am now sold on waiting . . . maybe.  It was soooooo much easier to handle since it had more time to harden.  I will most likely make a couple more batches since I have a hard time keeping this on the shelf.  

Cure date for this batch is Feb. 1. 

On the way home from Ionia today, I stopped by the church one last time.  I had a few things to clear out of the church and my office.  I was hoping no one would be there because I just wanted to get in and out with the least amount of emotion. Fr. Nate was there and we talked a few minutes about the loss of a two year old in the parish.  He had been battling cancer and looked so good the last time I saw him.  I can't think of any harder thing to go through in life.  This child's grandfather is a local funeral director, who in fact buried our little Joseph. 

 Then I turned in my keys.  That made everything official and I barely got to the car before losing it.  Afterwards I stopped at Walmart and saw a man who had been in our RCIA program but never completed it.  I had heard that he'd had his leg amputated but hadn't seen him.  I stopped and spoke with him for a few minutes.  He has a positive spirit and I enjoyed talking to him.  I also ran into a parishioner - one I will greatly miss and we spoke for a while.  This is what I love about smaller towns.  Everywhere you go you know you will run into a familiar face. 

When I got home I opened a letter from one of my cantors.  When I think of those ladies I do start to cry.  They stuck with me through thick and thin over the years.  We've laughed together and cried together and we have made plans to get together regularly.

As always, when I need to lift my spirits, I head to my happy place - my craft room.  I finished the snowman quilt I started last week.  I only have to finish sewing on the binding.  I love to hand sew the binding - especially if I am making the quilt for someone else.  It gives me a chance to think about them and pray for them.  Often, I give my quilts to people who are battling cancer.  I am keeping the snowman quilt, though, because there are some things I really wish I had done differently.   It's a cute quilt, but I am still on a learning curve with my quilting machine.  The lighting isn't very good here, but you can see the quilting fairly well.

Last night I made the patch for the quilt I am giving to Clay.  The quilt itself has been done for a while, but I need to put the identifying patch on the back.  Clay picked out the fabric himself.

He loves to hunt and fish with his dad so this choice was no surprise.

Tomorrow I am going to lunch with a friend who was also on the staff with me most of the time I was at St. Mary.  And another friend will be joining us. 

Tonight is the night that La Befana used to come and visit when I was a kid.   January 6th was when we celebrated the Epiphany - or La Festa Dell'Epifania (hence the name La Befana).  There are many versions of the legend, but this was the one I heard as a child.

The legend of la Befana

Like children everywhere, Italian kids look forward to the arrival of the red-suited 

Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve. However, this relatively modern tradition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by the arrival of an old witch in early January.  On Epiphany Eve, the old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year. For those who have fallen a bit short of model behavior, la Befana will leave lumps of coal. (Realizing that no one can be perfect for a whole year, these days la Befana often leaves a sweet “lump of coal” made from black sugar.)

            La Befana has been an Italian tradition since the XIII century and comes from Christian legend rather than popular culture. The story is that la Befana was approached by the Three Wise Men who asked her to lead them to the stable where the baby Jesus lay in a manger. La Befana was too busy cleaning her house at the time, so she declined the offer to go with them. Very soon she realized that she had made a huge mistake, so she gathered up a bag full of gifts and set off alone in search of the baby Jesus. Though she followed the same star as the Magi, she was unable to find the stable. Undaunted, la Befana continues to travel the world over to this day searching every house for the Christ child. On January 6, the first day of Epiphany, Italian children hold their breaths as they search their stockings for a sign that they have been good that year.

The arrival of la Befana is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone (a Christmas cake) and marks the end of the long and festive holiday season in Italy.

On January 6 we would go to Grandma and Grandpa Caputo's house and celebrate Christmas.  Our Christmas tree never, ever came down before January 7th.  While the rest of the world had moved on, we got to celebrate Christmas just a little longer.  To this day, my tree never comes down until after Epiphany.  And my friends John and Bea always give us a panettone di Natale for Christmas!

"La Befana vien di notte

Con le scarpe tutte rotte

Col vestito da Romana

Viva viva La Befana"

Monday, April 22, 2013

Let's see - what did I do today?
Started off the day with Madison, Meghan, and Garrett.  Never a dull moment with those three around.
First off, the girls turned on the CD player which is, and has been, their custom.  Garrett, who is Claire's little brother, has heard this song before.  So he did his little dance.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Despite the fact that Garrett is a little tornado boy, I did manage to get a batch of chocolate peanut butter fudge made.  I had some help with the testing.  Notice Maddie's ponytail.  That is her 80's look inspired by the Princess Pageant.

Thankfully, Harold made a roast the other day, so I didn't have to worry about lunch.  After the monkeys went hope, I made a batch of Maple Cream Fudge, a batch of Hazelnut Coffee candles, a batch of Country Orange Spice grubby tarts, and 120 more soap hearts for the Girls on the Run race bags.  I have one more batch of those and they will be finished - and none too soon because they have just enough time to cure before the event which will be in Shepherd this year - woohooo!!  Tomorrow Madison will help me package them and put on the labels.

Friday, September 21, 2012

I spent the morning blending a new fragrance oil for our fall products. It brings to mind the crunch of leaves in the fall, the freshly turned earth in the fields, a touch of maple and some other fantastic scents. It reminds me of our beautiful country road in the fall and so I have named the scent in its honor - Autumn on the County Line. I made a batch of candles and will post a pic of those when I have the labels. They are sage green and smell so wonderful.

 I usually make soap on Mondays, but I made another batch today using our new fragrance so that it would be cured in time for our October 27 craft show in Carson City.  Here is a pic of it in the mold.  I can't wait to cut it tomorrow!

Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist - Feast

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:9-13.
 

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Well, it's been a jam-packed couple of weeks. We went down to Ohio on Friday to celebrate my nephew's graduation. His party was on Saturday so we made it a sort of 3 day mini-vacation. I love mini vacations. Harold suggested we stay in a tree-house cabin that Howard told him about. We were only able to find ONE vacancy and that was for Friday night.  The cabin is located in Berlin, Ohio - in the heart of Amish Country so I knew right away that this was going to be a winner of a weekend.    It has all of the amenities of normal motels and then some.  It had a jacuzzi, a flat screen TV, the countertops were granite and on and on.  We were reading through the guest logs and there were references to a mysterious "George."  It seem that there is a tradition of hiding one dollar bill and then leaving clues for the next guest.  We found all but one and we left another in a secret place.

We have been getting stocking orders already so I sewed up a bunch on the drive down.  We visited some shops and at one of the thrift shops, I found a treasure trove of sheets to use for rugs.  I've already used on in a rug I am making for Madison for her birthday.  The pink stripe is from a comforter we found.  As you can see, it isn't finished yet - hence the tag on the right hand side.  It will be trimmed with yellow.  Madison has been helping me with this rug by handing me strips so I asked her if she would like it for her birthday.  Her party is on Sunday so it should be finished by then.

 I had the 5 oldest grandkids here yesterday morning.  It was a pretty lively time.  Melisa can always tell when Meghan has been here because she always buckles the belt on Garrett's carseat as soon as Grandma takes him out of it.

Friday was Sam's 30th birthday.  Madison keeps telling everyone that her Daddy is 40.  I didn't get a good pic of Sam because the kids stole the show.

 
 

Clay and Claire were there too, but I can rarely catch them long enough to get a pic.

Yesterday I went back to work getting inventory ready for this fall.  I was working with Cider Mill scent and - mmmmmmmm - I can't wait for Fall.  I made some new shaped tarts with some small bundt cake molds that I bought for soap.

and I made some more electric grubbies.  The house smells wonderful!!  I am so blessed to be able to do so many of the things I love.

Word of the day:

Wednesday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time

Saint(s) of the day : St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.