Life Makes Its Detours

Just when things seem slow enough at the Holiday Market that I can work on this week's tutorials, I sell just enough that I have to make more things for my booth instead. This week-end I sold more bath bombs so I had to make another batch last night; pot holders have suddenly become the rage, and I sold one men's apron. I don't have very many so I'll have to get busy making more. That's not a complaint. Only an observation that there is a lot to do in a very little amount of time.

I have two of the five spice blends completed. Today I will finish the other three and I will also make the liqueur, so hopefully I will be able to post both tutorials tomorrow. These two are: herb salt for roasting potatoes (or other roasty things) and an herbed dry mustard mix for making into a mustard vinaigrette.

Last night I: made a drafted pattern out of my new draped apron, made a batch of bergamot-rose bath bombs, cut out labels for them, made black bean chili with too many jalapenos, made cornbread my kid wouldn't eat, labeled some more bath salt kits, also labeled two more bottles of already scented salts, made three pot holders, and cut out a ton of new pot holders.

I had a dream that some of my freshly made bath bombs flattened out like pancakes while I was sleeping. I told my dream self that it was just a dream and that I would wake up to perfectly round bombs in the morning but my dream self still believed the dream. Frankly, I prefer dreaming about Mathew Perry. I suspect he doesn't particularly enjoy the thought of weird fat girls dreaming about him...but don't worry Mathew, it wasn't inappropriate. Much.

I got word from Monica of Happie Zombie that the coast where she lives is a mess from the storms and they've lost power. So think good thoughts for her! Here in McMinnville the storm wasn't really that bad. It rained torrentially yesterday and I did end up soaking wet after picking Max up at school and running a very short errand on the scooter. No trees seem to have fallen here though and the wind wasn't really all that ferocious.

Does anyone know if Michael Jackson is still alive?

Also- what do you suppose Barry Mannilow is doing right this minute? Does anyone know if he's gay? Because I've always kind of had a hard time imagining him with women. Whoa, I wonder if Neil Diamond is living a quiet happy life or if he's come to a bad place post fame and fortune. What do mega stars like that do when their gift is played out? What will I do when all my gifts are played out? My gifts are pretty non-stellar and not particularly the kind that would make me into a star so I wouldn't have to get used to being adored and pampered everywhere and have underwear thrown at me only to find myself forgotten fifteen years later. Do you think Neil Diamond grows vegetables? What if he is living some really cool low key life and loving the quietude?

Deep Dark Secret #337: I loved Barry and Neil when I was a kid. Oh yeah, and the Bee Gees. Can't forget that I also really liked to "rock" out to Lionel Ritchie. And I thought Taco was just about the coolest though I always felt slightly uneasy that anyone would willingly call themselves "Taco" and his nose was suspiciously small. One year for Christmas I got an olive colored velour shirt and a Kenny Rogers album and both those gifts got a lot of play.

You wouldn't think people like me would have any secrets, huh? You'd think that in the course of my constant chatter I would have already revealed every secret already. Always be wary of constant chatter. Sometimes the people who talk the most reveal surprisingly little.

I believe it's important for everyone to have a few things about themselves that they will never tell. That will remain private all the way into the cold cold ground. What eats at me are the things I don't want to keep secret that I can't tell because to say them out loud would alienate exactly every person I've ever met. The things most humans know but will never say. The things that lurk around the parameters of their consciousness, casing the brain joint for cracks and leaks and weakness.

You all have them in your head too. Whether you are aware of them or not is only for you to say.

I have just had lots of coffee and my stomach is screaming out for food. I had better get myself in the shower because today is another day of work at the Holiday Market and I'm not ready for the challenge.