Blowing Bubbles

Oh my GOSH! It's been days since I've had a spare second to post something here. My little blog was getting so lonely.

There is always a time in the calendar when I stop making soap. At least soap that I can sell this year. At some point I just have to draw the line, because soap takes 6-8 weeks to cure before it's officially ready for use. Well, that's how I like it to be. It can be used at 2 weeks. And in a pinch (like December) there is soap that is only 4 weeks cured. It's not bad, harmful, or dangerous in any way. It's just a little softer than I'd like it to be. I'd rather sell soap that's just a tad less hard than be sold out altogether and not have anything to sell for last minute shoppers and stocking stuffers. I figure that the soap isn't probably going to be dragged into the shower that same day anyway, but rather sit around in a box or closet or what have you for a bit of time before it's used.

Traditionally the cut off time for me is Thanksgiving. And if I'm truly efficient, I get started on a few batches late in December for the new spring soaps. There have been years where I've just given up until after New Year's. But this was the week when I threw up my hands and said whatever is here is here and I'll just have to go with it. I need to spend more time packaging and less time stirring the pot just in case I run out of something. So there it is. I've trundled the pots and bins and spoons and thermometers away to make space for the piles and piles of inventory being divvied up for shows next week.

And this week is all about making the stuff that doesn't cure or need waiting time -- sprays today, lip balm tomorrow, sachets and salve and foot balm over the weekend. At least that's the plan. I have to admit I'm pretty pooped and still quaking in my boots about how I'm going to pull off all the shows next week. But I'm not backing out. There will not be everything at every show. I've got to spread some things around. Solid perfumes at a couple. Vintage hankies vs dragonfly lavender sachets. Gift sets of various sizes and shapes.

Last night in the unbelievable deluge of rain that opened up just as I was headed to the post office with armloads of orders, I grabbed the incoming mail out of the box with my only free hand and the pole cracked, tipped over and the entire thing took a header down the front steps and landed in a mangled mess on the sidewalk below. I have no idea what to do about it now. I can't really re-set the post in concrete -- it's rotted through. Sheesh. Just what I needed this week. I'm hoping the mailman will take pity on me and still pry the damaged thing open to deposit all the new orders, bills and mountains of catalogs until I can figure out what can be done.

And by the way, again for those of you lovely readers not living in this soggy dark hole -- we had thunder, lightening and a barrage of hail this afternoon. Dark as night at 2pm. There is no way we are not breaking the record for most rain to ever fall on us in a single month this November. Such a fun and pleasant place, eh?