The View From The Top

Me, headed to the top. Popular misconception: that hell is in the depths of the earth. I would argue that hell is much higher up than that.

The weirdness of enclosing the outside walls of old buildings with new walls.
aka: Bizarre-chitecture*

• I was asked to paint some drywall and was given the following tools with which to accomplish the task: a scummy crusty roller that was grey with age and use; a paint tray with no liner that had some minor rust issues; a can of sour primer that had curdled and gone brown on the top 3" and whose smell made my stomach try to slink away from me. Tools notably missing: anything to open the paint can with, a suitable sink in which to clean up paint mess, a warning to not wear my best shoes. It was clear that fresh primer was not in the budget and deciding that there was no way I was going to get personal with paint that smelled like maggoty milk, I purchased fresh primer myself. I'll consider it a contribution to my community.

• After covering my hands with primer I next had to tackle the not insignificant task of trimming off the lower branches of the 15' Christmas tree that was delivered to the site in order to spruce up the dubious back room. Naturally no tools were provided for this so I jetted home to get my own. The job required that my hands be 100% smeared with pine resin. It must be noted, though, that the tree smelled really good.

• Once the tree was standing (and it took three of us to achieve this, did I mention that it is a 15' tree that weighs about 300 pounds?) I was asked to trim it with the lights. Me+heights=poison. I did not make anyone aware of this little equation, however, because everyone was working so hard and stressing so much it seemed surly to point out the inappropriateness of having a heights-phobic individual climb a 15' unsteady ladder to trim a very tall tree. I think the only thing that kept me from getting panicky was the attention I gave to two curious tree huggers- a late season lady bug and a very green bug whose name I don't know. Worrying about crushing the bugs gave me something other than the crazy shiftiness of the ladder to worry about.

• Watching the interesting religious ladies set up their charming tables was definitely a highlight. Having a fascination for anachronistic modes of dress, especially when it involves covering hair chignons with quaint starched caps or with black drapey coverings, may seem strange. Yet I love to see women dressed like this. I think it's ironic that while I admire them, (and I used to dress almost exactly the same as them -long skirts, work boots, bun in hair covered by scarf), they would not share that same admiration for me. I imagine they wouldn't appreciate me describing the way they dress as stylish, since they dress the way they do to honor their husbands and God and to be modest and eschew vanity, none of which are hallmarks of being "stylish". I can't help but wonder what kind of women they are when you get to know them.

I also think they wouldn't appreciate my tendency to swear and to take the Lord's name in vain. It wouldn't make it better knowing that I do so not seriously, as a sinner might, but with insouciance and frequently like a heathen might.


About bath bombs...THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN TO MAKE AND USE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Philip worked very hard last night on labels for my bath salt kits and for my little bath bombs. I was going to do some really fancy wrapping on them but in the end I prefer them to remain simple. This means I can charge less for them as well. I was going to charge $5.00 a piece with really wonderful packaging so that they would be little exquisite presents in themselves, but when I sat down to do something wonderful with them all my ideas fizzled away and nothing seemed quite right. So they are simple, attractive, and only $3.50 each. I will put some on my Etsy shop today.

I am definitely going to do a tutorial on making bath bombs. I am trying to figure out if I can put together a kit for making them as well. Now, I've been thinking about Pam's request for fruity smelling bombs and did a little research and if you want to use 100% natural scents, the only fruity essential oils to be had is citrus. Max would like an apple scented bath bomb but to have that means using synthetic scents. I don't think Max minds, but I do. Anyway, that's what I have to report on that front. Do you and Frankie like citrus, Pam?

I have to go work on the brochure for including in the salt kits so that I can list them in my shop and bring them down to my table at the holiday market. I hope you all are having a wonderful morning.



* A word Philip made up to describe the curious style of add-ons favored by many in McMinnville.