We had a full moon last night - it was just dark enough to show well, and just light enough to finish our walk with the dogs, when I took this photo. Not bad for a phone photo, but it would have been nice to capture the real impact of a late September moon behind drifting clouds.
We're enjoying our return to evening walks. Right around the time the heat became too outrageous to take our furry pals out, I managed to sprain my ankle, so we had a good excuse to lay off for a while. There's no describing how excited and agitated the dogs get as soon as walking equipment makes an appearance after dinner. They love their walks; it's still warm enough that we wait till dusk, and we only walk a mile, but we all enjoy it. The biggest surprise to me? Mosquitoes! I feel so cheated! I thought moving to a dry climate meant no mosquitoes, but those little creeps have eggs that can wait seven years in a dry spot, plotting for the right rain deluge to set them free.
Yesterday I got an email from a woman who wants to buy soaps as client thank-you gifts. It's been so long since I had a soap client, my inventory is quite low. I've said it before - I'll never stop making soap, I love it so, but it always surprises me when I get orders. My family says I'm not allowed to stop making it, but what they really want are lotions and creams. While I agree my skin care products are outstanding, it's the soap creation that makes my heart sing.
In the Oldtimer and Lily days, I made about 5,000 bars of soap a year, and had this lovely place to display, and a convenient workroom at the back of the store. There are so many things I miss about having that store, even though the income was lousy to non-existent!
One of the other things I loved about the store was selling books, especially to the high school kids. I miss the glow of their faces as they realized there was an adult who would talk to them about Harry Potter, or any other favorite book. I miss the excitement of a grade-schooler, tugging at her mama's sweater and jumping up and down saying "Books! They have books, mama!" I miss the pleasure on the face of the high school counselor who realized we brought in a supply of each of the required reading list for each grade, all in affordable format, and we were passing them on at our cost to the students. I'm just sorry that our small attempts at being good citizens of the community weren't enough to keep us there; you don't pay bills selling things at cost! (Don't ever ask me to create your business plan.)
Speaking of books, I just finished an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Jodi Picoult's newest - A Spark of Light. Picoult never shies away from controversial subjects - in this case a shooting at an abortion clinic in the south - and this book is no exception. The way she manages to put together a compelling, readable story, that is so clearly well-researched, leaves me in awe. This one was uniquely told in a reverse timeline fashion that worked surprisingly well. #ASparkofLight
Soon, I'll be traveling for both business and pleasure. I hope to return to blogging more often (she says for the umpteenth time).
