I have the best Customers!

           

One of my regular customers sends these great cards whenever she orders.  I think she is one of the ones that can't get the website to cooperate when she orders (like my sister!).  Or maybe she is one of those who use the computer all day long and she hates to use it at home when she is relaxing.  Or she tries to do it from a Mozilla browser.  Whatever the reason, I love opening it up and seeing what her note will say.  

These little "smiles" make me happy.  So much so, that I have always kept a "SMILES" folder.  These go right in that folder.  I started my SMILES folder when I worked in banking.  Back then it was (and probably still is) an old boy's club.  Think University Club with not one non-white, non-male member.  It was hard to get any recognition.  So, I kept little things like this to give myself a pat-on-the-back when I needed a boost.  

Now that I no longer get things like performance reviews or pay raises, it is a way to make sure I am performing my best.  I truly believe my little company offers the best customer service and thanks to Ronna, I really felt it the day I received this in the mail.   Thanks, Ronna!!

Only Once Every Seven Weeks...

Did you hear that stat on NBC's Nightly News (Monday October 3)?  The US Postal Service reports that in a survey the average American receives a handwritten letter only once every seven weeks.  You can see a video or read the text version here.   

It makes me sad, especially when I wonder when the last handwritten piece of mail I received came.  Wasn't it longer than seven weeks ago?  Am I not loved as much as the average person??  Am I just forgetting since the mailbox is so full of bills, catalogs with stuff I can't afford and junk mail???

Weirdly, this didn't make me feel sorry for the US Postal Service, it reminded me of a Shirley Temple movie.  I saw it when I was first married living with my wonderful hubby in our new house--I think it was "Blue Bird" from 1940 or so.  Having lost my grandparents, I was intrigued with the notion that our loved ones in Heaven were animated whenever we thought of them here on Earth.  I still think of my grandparents often, just to bring a smile to my face--and ridiculous as it sounds--to bring them to life up in Heaven.  I mean, seriously...I don't think we will need any help being animated in paradise, but, I still do it.

I even think I made a New Years Resolution one year to be better at writing to people who were important in my life.  Rod's Aunt Ellen is so good about keeping us up-to-date on happenings in their world--I want to be more like her!  But, I also want to actually have something good to say--certainly better things than I blog about!!!  And certainly something that would not be mocked at a reading of say...Christmas letters.  That particular day my annual missive was compared to a letter from an old friend--and mine came up VERY short on the fun meter.  Ouch.  It pains me that my perceived wonderful little recap of the year was not appreciated by my wide, far-flung audience.

So, in honor of continuing my quest to set pen to paper more consistently, I am gonna sit down and
W R I T  E  to one of my high school friends.  It will not be just the magazine article I clipped that made me think of her.  It will have an actual page of handwriting, bad as it usually ends of being and not just a post-it-note with a quick sentiment.  I promise...

Season's Scent, October 4, 2011

So, here is the 2011 Christmas soap curing on my soap racks.  I am calling it, "Season's Scent" and it combines nine different essential oils, two fragrance oils and some red and green oxide for a bit of color.  I am also going to be felting this one.  Felting?  If you haven't seen this before, let me show you a sampling of what it is.  Well, it will probably be easier to send you a link:
http://www.mielkesfarm.com/felt_soap.htm

I will of course post some pictures of how the process goes for me.  This is one of those projects I have been meaning to do for years.  When one of my suppliers was selling her personal stock of wool roving I jumped at a chance to get into Felting.  But that was about three years ago!

Summer Recap and First Show of the Fall, October 3, 2011

For some reason, at some point during the summer season I just give up trying to keep everything updated.  Maybe it has something to do with having cable TV at my parent's house--I LOVE HGTV!  Maybe it is because the nephews and nieces keep us busy with all their games and activities.  Maybe I just get tired of all this technology and want to open a book and actually read again.  Whatever the reason, I haven't had anything to blog about since May.  And, that is not acurate, as I always have something to say!  Its just that  those thoughts are finally getting onto the page.  Or some of it, because with my memory I have certainly forgotten most of what I wanted to say when it happened.

Oh, the shows this Summer were definitely down from the prior year--other than my bright spots at Mount Horeb, Libertyville, Lake Geneva and Schaumburg.  Rod was up in Illinois for the Libertyville show--that is him watching the parade on Sunday morning.  The town of Libertyville is so cute--doesn't it look like it could be Main Street at the Magic Kingdom?

We got really lucky with our Holiday Inn room--we got a suite for about $70 a night inclusive.  It was big, beautiful and I think I could live in it if I had to...two nice TV's, a big bed, and a fantastic bathroom with double sinks.  Ah, when you get lucky traveling it is nice--not so much when you get stuck in a dump.

In July, Dad had his surgery and that turned out to be quite the ordeal.  First, he was having it done in Chicago by a orthopedic surgeon who had been recommended to my Mom.   So, that meant a two hour trip back and forth for each doctor visit, lab test, etc.  You can imagine how happy that made my very grumpy father!  The night before the surgery was scheduled we got a hotel room nearby to make the 5 a.m. check-in time a bit easier.  At 5:15 a.m. we were notified that the surgeon had a high fever and would not be operating.  So, we went back to the hotel to pack up and cancel the rest of our stay, then back to Rockford to wait for a call rescheduling the surgery--which we hoped would be before we had to do all the testing redone.  Argh.  

When he finally made it to the operating table the surgery went well, but, the recovery...not so much.  He was told to plan on three days in the hospital.  That turned into six days as he was draining too much and wasn't strong enough to go home.  Dad, who just wanted to go home, wasn't a happy camper.  Once he did get home Mom and I worked hard to keep his dressing's dry, to keep him moving and to get him to do some exercises the physical therapists recommended.  The visiting nurses were a godsend.  How do people do this without good support systems.  I can't imagine.  

 Digging for new sewer and to bury utilities.

 This hole was almost constantly filled with water from all the storms we had during the summer.  Look, Mom, a new swimming pool!

Throughout the summer, we had bad weather with downed trees, power outages and on top of all that, road construction going on out in front of the folks house.  That just added a little extra excitement to everything else.  By the time August rolled around I was ready for another visit from Rod who was coming up for the Boone County Fair.  We had a great time for the first four days and then we got burned out and stayed home.  We did get some kayaking in out at the park, a trip to the casino and a trip on the Rock River by boat and along it by trolley.  It went quick, but, I knew the final couple of weeks would fly by. 

 

 Dad with his cousin, Roger, before the boat ride on the Rock River.  See his nifty back brace.  He wore that for eight weeks after surgery.

  

 Geese out at Rock Cut State Park and some of the trees blown over.

The fair highlights this year had to be the Goose Wrangler and his flock of about eight geese.  He had different outfits for them each day and would walk all over the grounds with them.  He also carried a ferret in his ditty bag and would surprise kids who thought it was a stuffed animal.  It was very entertaining.

During the summer, Mom and I spent a lot of time cleaning out the bedrooms--getting rid of clothes and all that stuff that seems to multiply in our closets.  Once we had a dozen or so tote boxes full of stuff to get rid of, we moved into the junk room (aka my brother's old bedroom) in the basement.  That was another dozen boxes of stuff to GO.  So, Jodie brought her stuff over and we had a big garage sale at the end of August.  Unfortunately the road construction cut down on the traffic for the sale.  Jodie ended up taking the excess to Goodwill and Salvation Army.

And that basically brings us to the big show in Schaumburg.  I was lucky to have both Mom and Jodie go with me again.  They are such great salespeople.  I can leave the booth without worrying about anything.  We enjoyed a couple nights out--Lou Malnati's for pizza and Cheesecake Factory the other night. Our room was nice--a Doubletree--with those great chocolate chip cookies they hand out at check-in!  The weather was fantastic for the show.  Our neighbors, Jeff and Deb of LB's Wood Shoppe were entertaining as always.  A great time was had by all!

The trip back to Orlando was uneventful.  Bonnie co-piloted with ease.  The hotel in Atlanta was the same as usual.  The weather stayed nicely overcast much of the time--which I appreciated since the air conditioner is not working!   I have spent most of my time since getting home making soap to get the Fall shows off to a good start.  The two curing racks above are filled now and I have moved into the other bedroom for additional curing space.  So, let the games begin for the Fall season.  Vero Beach was a bit slower than in past years, but, it continues to be one of my favorites.  My regular customers are so appreciated...and I hope the new ones are loving their new soap!!!

First Illinois Shows, May 16, 2011

I was in Baraboo Wisconsin on Saturday and Woodstock Illinois for Fair Diddley on Sunday this week.  Let's just say that the weather forecast was not good--rain forecast was at 60% and the temperatures were supposed to be cool. 

On Saturday the trip up to Wisconsin was gorgeous but the rain was only spitting which happily didn't affect my set-up.  I was next to really nice couples on either side.  The show is very shoppable and I don't think there are any bad spots.  But the cool temps (in the 50's) kept peoples' hands in their pockets.  It was a much slower show than last year, but, again one I might do next year because I LOVE the area. 

I was across from the antique store below.  I had to snap a picture...I love the storefront! 

On Sunday in Woodstock I arrived to find four artists just down from my spot leaving because they could not set-up with the 20+ mile an hour prevailing winds.  So, my little gang of artists banded together, helped each other set up and then anchored down to ensure we all stayed put.  BUT, we could not put up sides, so I did a modified display that could be removed fast if the rain started. 

But the rain never came, luckily.  The wind and the cold were relentless--keeping the crowds low--as the people next to me complained.  We drank tea or coffee nonstop.  And we prayed the wind would not rip our tents from their spikes in the brick streets.  This show is one I will do next year and pray it has more temperate weather conditions. 



Last Florida Art Show and Illinois Trip 2011

My last show in Florida was a nice way to go out--temps in the mid 80's and a small but nice crowd at the Winthrop Art Festival.  The show was much smaller in size artist wise too--mainly due to a late start in finalizing the dates when the Rotary dropped out.  Maybe next year it will be better--and maybe fine craft will once again mean handmade crafts and NOT buy/sell jewelry, flip flops and China imports.  I am ever hopeful. 

A Flowering Crab Apple tree in my parent's backyard.

One of my favorite artist, glassblower Jay, told me about three shows in March that I will try to get into next year.  They all have a high percentage of true artists--so we don't have compete with buy/sell items and the customer is treated to a culteral experience and not a flea market. 

On Saturday May 7th, Bonnie and I got an early start on the trip to Illinois.  We had a very uneventful trip I am happy to report.  Traffic was flowing courteously, rest stops appeared just as my bladder was hinting at fullness and Bonnie Dog was basically well mannered. 



We stopped in Clarkesville Tennessee at a non-descript hotel--and were immediately disappointed with the room ammenities.  It was not pretty, but, the TV picked up the Kentucky Derby--so I was happy.  I got a little more cheerful when I saw the bathroom--it was awesome!  I think they are remodeling--bathrooms first.  I got downright giddy later in the evening when I laid down on what looked to be a dumpy mattress--and was surprised with how comfortable it really was!  We had a good night's sleep and hit the road for the final push to Rockford. 

                                    The White Lilacs just opening and smelling heavenly!

We made it again with no real delays but with rising gas prices.  Once we hit Illinois the gas taxes must have exploded.  We went from $3.89 to well over $4 a gallon.   I filled up at $4.19 and for the first time ever put over $70 in my gas tank.  OUCH!

My parent's yard was just starting to bloom like crazy.  The lilacs were opening and the flowering crab apple made it's here-today-gone-tomorrow appearance.  I bought Mom a hanging basket for Mother's Day and she started here purchases to fill her planters and whiskey barrels.  Hopefully we can get those all in the ground over the next week!

The Purple Lilacs--almost ready to flower!



Easter and More, April 26, 2011

A cute little plate that I found at a gift shop over in Ponce Inlet a few years ago.  It says it all, doesn't it?  My ability to see Life and its good side is due mainly to my friend Patti and her husband Tim.  He has been sick for months, and this week it finally looks like he has turned a corner.  Patti has been surviving somehow all this time with a little help from her friends and a lot of help from above.  She is my Doopleganger...I am the dark side, she is the light side.  LOL  Occassionally we switch places, but not often.  Way to keep the faith, Girl!

We celebrated Easter alone this year.  I had invited Patti and her sister, but, they had made plans with another neighbor.  So, this is what she missed...my Mom's homemade roll recipe that I converted for the bread machine.  Yummy, says it all!!   Oh, we also had Ham Balls, Scalloped Corn and cookies.   There's more in the freezer if you get here quick!  

And for good measure, let me add a picture of my dog's behind.  For those of you who have helped me through the flea phase of the last few weeks--notice no redness, no inflammation and NO FLEAS.   I must tell you that Bonnie did not want to expose this end of her--she was downright offended.  She laid down in her submissive stance and got it over quick.  So, with my apologies to you and Bonnie.  This is one of those times when I take my hat off to modern chemistry.