Rain, rain, go away

It's been so dark, gray and wet that it's hard to get out from under the blankies in the morning. And hard to get motivated to leave the house or do anything at all.

My shift at the shop yesterday was lonely - hardly a peep from anyone, the streets empty, even the radio was dull and lethargic. I'm headed back there tomorrow, but I'll bring a magazine or something to keep me occupied while the rest of the world hibernates.

Even though it is supremely difficult to get excited about work again, I've somehow managed to finish all the bookkeeping chores and last year turned out ok. A teeny bit down from the year before, but with the loss of all the Country Craft shows, plus the first year without the Tacoma market too, I really can't complain. Somehow the rest of my sales rallied to almost cover what was missing. The competitive side of me is rallying to make this year a whole lot better.

Soap making is under way too. And that is almost harder to get up and running again. It's like a giant rock that you were rolling up hill and chugging along, but once you stop for a break, it's back-breaking to start moving again. I don't know why - because I'm actually excited about the new soaps. I've got some Spring soaps that I really want to see how they turn out. And I'm working out a little change in the recipe for all the soaps. I'm taking them up a notch and adding shea butter and hemp oil to all the soaps for just a little more pampering and moisturizing luxury. It's worked out so nicely in the Rosemary Orange and Bergamot soaps that I wanted to make the whole line just a tad bit more luscious. The first few batches are just catch-up of what I've done in the past, but I'm doing a new batch here and there to work out any glitches before I go whole hog.

And there's other ideas too that I need to work on. And I WANT to work on them. But the gray skies, cold winds, and happily napping cats are making me sleepy and tired all week. In the end, I think January really is a month for nurturing oneself and I probably need the sleep. Eating healthy, taking it slow, catching up on sleep and slowly rebuilding strength for what's to come this year. It's part of the cycle, and a necessary step in the progression of seasons.

Spring will be here before you know it, but that's next month. For now, we're still buried under the blankies, making plans.