Monday, May 2, 2011

Whew!!!!!  Things can slow down a bit. Easter Vigil is done, the syrup festival is behind us, First Communion occurred yesterday. I can relax a bit, maybe.  Except that I have to make 400 heart soaps for the GOTR gift bags, I have a basket donation to make for an upcoming crop, I have ton of water to vacuum out of the basement, and a few batches of candles to make.  I have the girls 3 mornings this week and a staff meeting Thursday afternoon.  A lot of music planning to do.  A rehearsal for upcoming priest ordinations. Other than that, I'm home free.  hahah   Oh yeah, and the house is a wreck - but that's a given.   Hmmmmmmm. 

I spent the afternoon grunging jars for a candle order and grunged a few lamps while I was at it. I sucked up 3 large pale fulls of water.  I vacuum it up and then Harold dumps it when he comes in the house.  My back has been bothering me lately and I just can't lift the big bucket, and even filling the small buckets to dump is not a possibility right now.

I also measured out 4 batches of soap oils.  I didn't try to make soap tonight because when the house is this messy, I can't enjoy it.  

I have some video from the festival, but I haven't located my flip video camera yet. 

Word of the day:

Monday of the Second week of Easter
Saint(s) of the day : St. Athanasius, Bishop, Doctor of the Church (+ 373)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3:1-8.

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Yesterday was a busy day.  I priced all of our odd weight soaps for the festival this weekend.  I made a batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter fudge - but I wasted a batch because I mistakenly thought it would be okay to make it in something other than my special fudge pot.  Lesson learned.  Now I have to go to town and get evaporated milk because that left me one can short.  That's okay because I have to mail a package.  Yesssss!!!!!!!!!!  I got my second soap order off of Etsy.

It's been a real treat trying to work in the basement.  I am so thankful that this is not the first time it has taken on major water because all of our stuff is on plastic platforms.  I would have been one very unhappy camper if our inventory had been ruined.  That puzzling part is that Harold spent a lot of time last year trying to prevent this very thing.  We dug a new tile and put in drains, but still we have water.  I am so glad that I didn't trust the basement to be dry and took precautions against the water.

I cut up the Prairie Rose soap.  It's good soap, but a bit cosmetically challenged so it will go for a sale price on Etsy.  If you click on the pics, you can see a closeup of the imperfections.  Because this batch accelerated so quickly, I had to get it in the molds fast. It has a very nice scent so I am going to have be sure that everything is ready to go the next time I make it.  I didn't have my piping bag ready and I was stressed the day I made it so next time I will make sure I am in my "soap zone" before I attempt it again.

I mixed lye water for a batch of soap I had planned to make last night, but I think I will wait until my work for the day is done and all the bins are loaded for the craft show. 

Word of the day:
Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Saint(s) of the day : St Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 24:35-48.

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have."
And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.
And he said to them, "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things

 

Monday, April 4, 2011

Yesterday Harold and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.  I drove home from church in a snowstorm.  I guess it's not that uncommon because people drove home from our wedding reception, 35 years ago, in a snow storm.  We didn't even know that until a few years ago. 

Melisa and Claire were in the paper yesterday because Melisa is one of the co-ordinators of the Mom-to-Mom sale.  Clayton did not want his picture in the paper.  He's funny about getting his picture taken.  If it's his idea, he's fine with it.  Otherwise, not so much.

I'm planning to make soap tonight.  I saw a cool technique where soapmakers put bubble wrap on top of honey scented soap and it looks just like a honeycomb.  I'm making oatmeal, milk, and honey tonight so I can't wait to try it.

Sales have been non-existent lately - normal for this time of year, but it seriously puts a crimp in my soapmaking because my supplies are running low.  I don't seem to be having much success on Etsy, except for Christmas stockings but I'm going to give it a while.  It's only 20 cents to list and item - that's fairly cheap advertising.

  Harold just told me that there is water in the basement.  My stuff is protected, but I had hoped to put a pretty rug down there.  All of the snow and rain yesterday and caused the basement to get wet again.  Oh, well, thank God for plastic tubs.  LOL!

Word of the day:
Monday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St. Isidore of Seville, Archbishop (+ 636)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 4:43-54.

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place.
When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.
Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death.
Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon."
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe.
(Now) this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.