What's up with the snow?

I've been feeling all day like it's December. The frantic running back and forth between shows. The frenetic pace of pulling together just the bare minimum of inventory to get through the day. The late night packing of orders, running to the automated postal machine in the wee hours. This week does not feel like a typical September. It's scary, but it's almost over. And there is no show next week.

I had no idea. People told me the Fair was really big and that I should get an awful lot of inventory ready ahead of time. I thought I did. But I should have doubled my expectations. At least. And I didn't plan ahead for the other stuff either. The fact that the fall newsletter went out at the same time and all the new orders arrived at once during those same two weeks. I never truly factored in the two shows at once thing either. So it's been overwhelming and absurd. Working non-stop around the clock, except for the time I am in the car driving endless hours to the south or to the north and back again. In the rain and lousy commuter hour traffic.

My "catch up" items for next week -- I don't even want to think about it. I desperately need to make more soap. And fast. But I've sold out of sprays, salves, foot balms, all my little gift set items, the works. So I basically need to start from scratch again, building up my supplies for the next couple of months. At this moment I can hardly imagine what the next three months will be like. Or how I will survive it. Because I'm exhausted, worried, starting to feel like I might get sick (everyone else is, why not me?) and just plain overwhelmed.

So. I have very complete notes about what to do differently and better for next year. Of course there will be much more anise soap for all those fishermen in Puyallup. It was the first year and it was a huge learning experience. I've already got big plans for next year.

Whew. It's Thursday evening. I just got the last of the accumulated orders from this week off to the post office. All the deposits are made. I've got a head start on the restocking for tomorrow. There is a batch of soap on the stove to be whizzed this evening. And I'm going to bed early. Really early. Zzzzzzzzz. Something simply must be done about these bags hanging around under my bleary eyes.