It's Tuesday and I am in pain!

M and I have been planning a raised bed garden forever and we told ourselves that we would do it after tax season. Our life revolves around "tax season". I have come to hate those words, even though it provides for us. At any rate, last Friday, M went to the lumber yard and came back much poorer and with ginormous slabs of redwood 2 X 12's and 4 X 4's.

Says he, "grab an end and help me get this into the back yard". In-the-name-of-all-that's-holy, I almost died! After we were through I looked up at him from the ground and said "This is not what I envisioned doing at 70 years old". He just looked at me, grinned and said "You're not 70 yet." I may not make it, either.

Saturday morning after I got my ample but incredibly sore butt out of bed, we started building the thing which meant moving each piece, cutting each piece and assembling each piece off site. More whining from the old woman. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday except we got to move this HUGE box into place.

Monday we got to shovel planting soil into the wheelbarrow and then shovel it into the box adding all sorts of wonderful stuff that comes in large bags and is supposed to make you Jack and be able to grow the Beanstalk. Beanstalks are fairly inexpensive at our Grower's Market throughout the summer, but they wouldn't be OUR beanstalks. We only got half of the box filled, so after more Motrin and a vodka martini, I had the leisure to contemplate what was in my near future. I am walking like Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and here's the kicker:

We took today off to do........wait for it........tax returns.

Some deity, somewhere, is rolling on the floor laughing his ass off.

It's been a few days, hasn't it?

Sorry it's been so long, but life got in the way. Husbands, doctors, housekeeping, pets, fixing food to eat (I'm a great cook, but I hate it. Go figure.) I was sure that my days would smooth out after tax season was over, but all of the things that were put off until then came due. Maybe next week.

I am trying to remember where I left off! Oh, the icky colored soap turned out fine after all. As every soapmaker knows, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Smells yummy, too. Now I just have to wait for it to age.

I just made my first sale to Australia. My shipping rates were "pie in the sky" estimates and I've underestimated a bit. I hate to charge more, but it looks like I'll have to. I love it when someone buys from me. I love making my soaps and balms and I can't wait for the customer to try them. It's like sending off a little bit of me.

Well, I have to go. I hear that food is a necessary component of life and it appears that I need to go prepare some.

Talk you to soon.

Easy Day

I spent most of today doing computer chores. Spreadsheets and that sort of tripe. Some background; my husband works part-time at a large hospital and does tax preparation year 'round. He is an "enrolled agent". Isn't that a sweet thing to have on your business card? Enrolled Agent....Bond...James Bond. Sigh, back to reality. It is almost April 15th, thank you, Jesus.

We went outside and DH smoked his pipe and I sat downwind and crocheted. I just taught myself how to and, while it's most irritating, I am determined to make something reasonably clever. I hate cutesy crafts so I have my work cut out for me. The day was stunning. Warm, with a wonderful breeze bringing all sorts of unidentifiable scents. I felt drunk on the day. The only thing that kept it from having angels singing hosannas and playing their harps were the little microscopic bugs that felt they had to nest in my nose, eyes and ears. Ah well, the devil is in the details.

After M left for work, I made some absolutely revolting baby poop green soap. (The following are private soapmaker's terms and not to be understood by the average person, so don't think you are suddenly trying to read Greek) It accelerated to pudding before I could mix my swirls. I stubbornly did it anyway, mixed French green clay into the base and glopped the swirl colors into the pot, went through them with my spatula and poured into the mold. Well, I like to call it pouring but we all know it was glopping. Banged the heck out of it on the counter and it promptly paid me back by overheating. As it started to bulge in the middle, I threw a fan on it and smugly subdued the ungrateful mess. I poured a margarita, played a game of internet backgammon, knocked the socks off of a French "expert" and I will not look at the soap until tomorrow. Lovely day.

Sea Salt Soap Sale

Oh my, the alliteration!

I just sold my first bar of sea salt soap. This is soap that is so hard to explain to customers and I know that some will never understand it. If I could send a free bar to everyone that is curious I think I'd be a rich old bag. It contains mostly sea salt. This is bound together with soap made of coconut oil (in my case). Coconut oil is normally a skin drying oil that lathers profusely. When combined with sea salt, it becomes a skin toning, pore refining soap that is unique and amazingly gentle. At my age I don't use soap on my face...except for this salt bar. It's like nothing else I've ever used and I did not originate it, I learned to make it from a very generous soaper in Denmark. Thank you, my unmet friend. This is one of the best gifts I have ever been given.

I have just signed up for Revolution Money Exchange. It's like PayPal but without the fees. I'm on the cutting edge of money transfering and I haven't the slightest idea how it works. I need to figure out how to post their "buy now" button in my esty shop, if I can. I am hopelessly out of sync with the internet. If one of you lovely, with-it folks figures it out, please break it down to words of one syllable and educate me. I am going to go make soap now...and boil my laundry and slop the hogs and till the back forty. Later.

Amazingly Talented Artists

I will be honest, I started this blog to promote my Etsy shops. I also wanted to bring other artists with more talent than I some attention. In searching for these artists I have found such ability and breadth of vision that I am deeply moved.

I have always thought that everyday things should represent a part of someone's joy, thus my soaps and jewelry, but I am finding an equal amount of joy in the journey and discovery of other, bigger talents. Thanks to each and every artist that allows me to post a link to your work, your joy, your abundant and stunning art. I am truly humbled.

My first post - Hello, world!

Well, here I am. I am slowly finding a spot in the world wide web for my minimal computer skills. We'll take it slow, if you don't mind.....and, frankly, even if you do.

I have links to other Etsy shops over there under "lists of other great sites". KaZi is me, too. If you like jewelry that's slightly upscale, please take a look. I have some fiber creations, as well. I will be adding shops whose craft I admire. My first is srobison and I think she makes stunningly beautiful journals and albums. I intend to be picky about who I add and she fits the profile with style.

My life revolves around my family, my critters and my crafts. You, most likely, will not find excitement here, just small vignettes of everyday life from the viewpoint of a 12 year old trapped in a 67 year old body. Oh, the appalling shock, when looking in a mirror!