Hectic Days

I have not been able to get to my blog in a couple of weeks. All my good intentions have gone out the door in the face of reality. My in-laws, both within two weeks of each other have had a medical crisis so poor Peter (only child) and I have been negotiating and finding our way through the mechanisms of caring for aging parents. If you have not done this before - once immersed you will become an expert. Thank God I have a friend who has helped by pointing us in the right direction, since she has just gone through the same thing.

My poor pup grabs whatever affection he can get from me in between running to work and hospital. Our schedule is definitely up in the air. So this morning I decided to take some time for myself, put a few thoughts to cyberspace and veg out before the daily rituals start.

I am finishing up an order for some wonderful pear and cardamom cameo soaps and filigree hearts for a customer who plans on using them in her Valentine baskets. I just bought a new oil - Rose Garden - that smells so much like a rose garden and reminds me of summer days when the air is laden with the scent of roses. That definitely has to be done up in my filigree heart soaps. I'll be selling those for sure on my website and ETSY.

In this time of turmoil I am finding much joy in working with my soaps and tomorrow it will be the dye pots - making up some spice pumpkin and herb garden wool threads. Have not had much time for punch needle though I do have a couple of designs worked up. I want to finish those soon for the spring season.

Here is my honey soy wheat bran soap layered and permeated with lemon and lemongrass essential oils. I just love the freshness of anything lemon. To the right is my strawberry cream soy soap all packaged up with butcher paper and pretty red fibre paper found on one of my excursions to the art store. These can be found at TDIPT Mercantile and PFATT Marketplace



I promised that I would show my sheep rug that was part of a challenge. I was so glad to be able to finish it on time before all this started happening. It certainly was a challenge but a fun one using up other people's colour choices of wool strips. I loved doing it and sometimes challenges are the best thing in order to get out of a rut. I have spent the better part of a year doing punch needle so this little exercise rekindled my first love of rug hooking. Thank you to Maria of PRHG for making this happen.

two sheep - hooked by Joni & designed by Maria

Roby has just been introduced to the newest member of our family (Gustav - the in-laws cat) and there was much growling and sniffing and a late chase up the stairs but all in all a successful introduction. Everyone is asserting their territory which is normal and we will all just have to be one happy family!