I Don't Believe In Coincidences

I don't believe that anything that happens is a coincidence. I'm not sure that I think our destinies are preordained, either. After all, there is free will and all that to consider. My beliefs fall between all things happen for a reason, and we control our destiny. In the past few years, I have felt that someone, somewhere, is listening to me and answering my heart. These events prove to me that there is indeed goodness in the world and a great power at work. I call it answered prayers.

A situation on the farm has been weighing heavy on my heart. I have not verbalized my concerns; I have merely kept quiet, but the weight of the situation is there, and I feel helpless. My bib overall-wearing wonder buns handles the milking of the goats. I step in if needed, but my bib overall-wearing buddy does 99% of the milking. With my 1% participation, I don't have a vote on what happens in the barn. Currently, we have fifty-five goats. Fifty-five is a high number, even for us. After years of our herd numbers going up and down, I am resolved that not everyone born here can stay. I would love to be able to keep everyone, but herd health, provisions, and space make it impossible.

My bib overall-wearing buddy has decided that we will maintain a dairy-only herd. This means that our Boer goats will all be sold. Along with the Boers, he has decided that Cindy Crawford, our Nubian girl, must go. Sigh. The Boer goats have very little personality, aren't friendly, and don't seek us out for attention. I am not distraught over the Boers being sold. However, I am upset at the thought of Cindy Crawford being sold. Cindy is a sweet, gentle girl. She is an incredible mother and a decent milk producer, although not one of the strongest milk producers, and she holds a solid position in the herd hierarchy. Cindy Crawford holds the highest pedigree in our herd lineage. However, The Bibbed Wonder has decided that Cindy must go because she is a stinker on the tall milk stand, which is the stand we use most often.

We utilize a milk stand in the barn for daily milking unless the girls are in the pasture across the driveway. The milk stand in the barn is shoulder height because Eric did not want to bend down to milk. I'm not sure what it is about the tall stand that upsets Cindy, but she does not behave well when she is up there. She fusses, jumps at everything, and tries to get down when she decides she is done. One might think that it is simply bad behavior and a good reason to sell her, but when Cindy is on the low milk stand across the way, she behaves perfectly. For months, the Bibbed Wonder has lamented Cindy's bad behavior on the tall stand. Each time he complains about her, I point out that she is as good as gold on the lower stand, and perhaps she doesn't like the height of the taller stand. The Bibbed Wonder says everyone else is okay with the tall stand, and she is just a "pain in the ass." However, like people, goats have different triggers, quirks, personalities, and preferences. The Bibbed Wonder does not listen to my rationale for Cindy's behavior on the tall stand.

Eric has made it clear that as soon as we finish The Shaker Woods Festival, he will sell all the Boer goats and Cindy. He has a buyer for most of the Boers, but a small group, including Cindy, will be sent to auction. I hate livestock auctions. I hate the atmosphere of fear, inconsideration, roughness, and callousness toward living creatures. If it were up to me, I would ban all livestock auctions. That's my personal opinion. I shared my traumatic experience at the auction barn when I was a child, and after forty years, that experience stayed with me. It turns my stomach to think about our goats going there, especially Cindy.

I have been giving the situation much thought and worry because we are in the last week of The Shaker Woods Festival. I have voiced my concerns to Eric about Cindy but have been blown off. Yesterday, the phone rang as I sat on the couch, nursing a cold. It was a Virginia phone number, and I almost didn't answer it, but something told me to pick it up. I was greeted by a pleasant voice explaining that she had spoken to me at Ligonier about purchasing goats on two occasions and that I had advised her to reach out to us at the end of the summer. I remembered exactly who this lovely young woman was and asked her what she was looking for: babies or adults. She answered adults, and I immediately told her about our sweet Cindy. At the end of the conversation, Abigail expressed serious interest in Cindy and asked me to please not take her to the auction, and we planned for her and her husband to come out and meet Cindy and the little ones.

When I got off the phone with Abigail, I thanked the powers that be for this answered prayer. It doesn't escape me that when I am heavy with concern, often things work out for the best. This phone call, at this time, is no coincidence. Someone, somewhere, is looking out not only for me but also for my sweet Cindy. I am grateful for answered prayers. Cindy will move on to a new herd with a good home and a good goat mama to care for her. Abigail has a low milk stand, so Cindy and her nervousness should not be an issue. Cindy deserves a good home with someone who will appreciate her sweet personality. I am eternally grateful for answered prayers and blessings.

On this lovely Wednesday, stay safe, be smart, recognize when you are blessed, be grateful for all blessings, believe that things will work out no matter what, and keep washing your hands.

Tuesday Spotlight: Patchouli

Welcome to the Tuesday Spotlight, dear reader. This week, the spotlight is shining upon patchouli-scented soap and moisturizer. If you love an earthy scent, patchouli is for you. I must admit that after almost nine years of making soap, working with a variety of essential oils, and creating custom blends of essential oils, patchouli has finally won me over. However, it has taken many years for this to happen.

Patchouli is one of those scents that people adore or hate; there is no middle ground. I've yet to meet someone who says, "Oh, patchouli is okay." Generally speaking, I am not a patchouli lover. However, I love the way it smells on my husband. Our body chemistry reacts differently to all scents. What smells divine in the jar may smell odd on your body. The scent you detest in a soap may smell lovely when blended with your body's chemistry. Patchouli smells lovely on one bib overall, wearing wonder buns. If he uses patchouli moisturizer on his handsome bald head, I will sniff him each and every time I walk past him if he is seated and at nose level. Trust me, good sniffs do not always come from this man. Sigh. Most of the time, I regret sniffing anything from his general area.

We use a lovely dark patchouli oil in our products. The oil is thick, rich, and a dark amber color. Believe it or not, we are all nose blind to our soap studio. Usually, the first comment made when someone new enters the studio is how lovely it smells. The only time I detect a hint of scent is when we are making patchouli products. Patchouli oil is by far one of the strongest, longest-lasting scents we create. I like patchouli for its homeopathic properties, such as an insect deterrent, moisturizing qualities, and anti-inflammatory properties. From an aroma therapy perspective, it is calming, grounding, and balancing. It holds a solid second place to lavender for its calming properties.

This week, exclusively on the website, patchouli soap and moisturizer are on special. Save 25% on bars and jars of patchouli. No promo is ever needed for the weekly special, and the savings will automatically be applied at checkout. The weekly special is a great time to try something new, stock up on a favorite, or purchase an affordable gift. If you have a patchouli lover in your midst, now is a great time to share.

On this unseasonably cool Tuesday, stay safe, be smart, enjoy the savings, and keep washing your hands.

It Was A Strange Weekend In The Woods

Dear reader, it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around the fact that we are moving into our second weekend at the Shaker Woods Festival. School begins next week, and August is coming to a close sooner rather than later. I must be transparent that I am feeling some anxiety over leaving for Ohio tomorrow. It's not that I don't feel confident in my trusted friend's abilities to care for our beloved critters or that I feel anything will be other than fine; I hate leaving home. I am becoming more hermit-like with each passing year. This year at "The Woods" turned out to be the most interesting experience. One just never knows what to expect from year to year, even with tried and true live shows such as The Shaker Woods Festival.

Last weekend was opening weekend. Traditionally, the opening weekend has been an introvert's nightmare. The crowd is so dense that one has difficulty maneuvering the grounds. Lines form at booths, with attendees clamoring for products. The adrenaline runs high all day from intense social interaction, customer service, and lively discussions. My experience has been nothing but positive. The Bibbed Wonder and I remark that we are indeed blessed with an exceptional customer base. Everyone is supportive, friendly, kind, and understanding. Rarely do we experience a negative interaction at Ligonier or Shaker. You all are the rockstars that make what we do possible.

This year has been an anomaly. Even with the gorgeous weather we experienced on opening day, the crowd never exceeded 50% capacity at any given time, and the grounds were tranquil. We did not experience any lines forming at our booth, and neither did any other vendors. Not even the food vendors were backed up with customers. The coffee cake booth usually sells out by mid-day on opening day. When I walked past their booth at the end of the day on opening day, they had a large inventory of cakes. It was a very odd opening weekend, indeed.

The attendance was lower than expected this year, and the crowd was different. The entire day had an unusual vibe. We had so many positive interactions with our loyal soap family, new friends, and friends of friends it's hard not to smile. However, I will say we did have a few stinkers this year. I am unaccustomed to dealing with unpleasant people because you all have me spoiled. In the course of two hours, I had not one but two women enter our booth, quickly step out, and announce loudly, "Don't go in there if you have asthma! The smell is overwhelming!" Sigh. I smiled, asked if there was anything I could do, and told them to have a good day. The Bean does not deal with difficult situations well. She has her mother's face, which shows what she is thinking. I have had to ask her to adjust her face more than once. The Bean growled into my ear, "I have moderate to severe asthma, and it doesn't bother me!" I explained that everyone has different triggers, and we must respect that. She informed me that the polite thing would be to walk out quietly and not "be all dramatic." I laughed and told her not everyone is as well-mannered or polite as her. I also told her she was not wrong but to get that look of irritation off her face. Why must she embrace my worst traits? She is quite The Bean.

At about midday, a group of women entered our booth. I saw them clustered together, reading the ingredients and talking amongst themselves. As they walked out, I heard one say to another, "Just come on! Don't make a fuss." The one instructed not to make a fuss replied, "I'm going to ask! I have the right!" As she approached, her friends walked off in the opposite direction. I smiled and said, "Can I help you?" She tersely informed me she had a question. I replied with a smile, "Ask away." She then asked me why I use canola oil in my soaps. I explained that canola oil has cleansing and moisturizing properties, adding to lathering abilities. She then proceeded to "educate" me on the evils of canola oil and rapeseed. Sigh. I allowed her to explain her opinions, told her I had indeed researched all the ingredients in my soaps extensively, smiled and nodded at her scathing review, and allowed her to express her opinion that if my products didn't include canola oil, she would have "bought a bar" and that she "would prefer a soap with no lather over one that uses canola oil." At the end of her rant, I smiled and told her my products weren't for everyone. I told her to have a good day and enjoy the festival. She gave me one more scathing look and stormed off.

At this point, The Bean and The Bibbed Wonder were beyond irritated. The Bean asked me how I could be so calm when someone was so rude. I told her it was my job to be a professional and handle even rude and confrontational individuals with respect. It's part of being mature and responsible. I can remain so calm when someone attacks my choices because I am confident I did my research. I looked at all the ingredients and the arguments for and against each ingredient. I dived much deeper than simply Googling canola oil and the cons of using it. At the end of more than six months of in-depth research, I made my decision based on science, not propaganda. My child is my gold standard. If I feel confident using an ingredient that my beloved child will put on her skin, I believe in my choice—end of story.

If one does a Google search of any ingredients listed in my products, one will find a school of thought against each one. Some believe coconut oil, castor oil, lard, goat's milk, lye, and micas are all evil products. I respect your opinion and encourage you to do your own in-depth research. I encourage you to find reliable resources, professionals, and trusted articles. There are a lot of sensationalized resources available, but dig deeper. I will always encourage individuals to do their research and educate themselves. Not everyone's opinion will align with mine, and that is fine. I do ask that one wait for the appropriate time to delve into an argument about said research. A busy event is not the time or the place, but I will always do my best to be professional and respectful and answer all questions to the best of my ability. I will also happily suggest another handmade soap maker who aligns with one's beliefs if I can.

On the way back to the hotel, The Bean and The Bibbed Wonder were on a tear about the less-than-positive individuals we encountered. I listened to them briefly and then said, "Okay, enough. Those were three people. Let's talk about the wonderful people we talked to." We then discussed all the lovely people who visited us, sought us out, complimented our products, treated us with kindness and appreciation, and made us smile. There were way more than three. By the time we returned to the hotel, we were laughing, smiling, and in a good mood, just remembering all the positivity you all brought into our day. Thank you for that. My child informed me I handle myself like a pro. Coming from an often surly teen, this is the highest compliment. I hope I set a good example for her. At the end of the day, that is what is important.

The weather doesn't look very cooperative this weekend. However, I remain hopeful that opening weekend was a fluke and that we will return to our happy, supportive, lovely soap family and Shaker Woods attendees. If you are looking for a lovely festival to attend, Shaker Woods is a good one. Often, the threat of rain will keep away the crowd. I gently encourage you to bring an umbrella, wear your comfortable weatherproof shoes, don a jacket, and come out to enjoy world-class artists and vendors. As one bib overall wearing wonder buns likes to say, "You won't find better company."

On this lovely summer day, stay safe, be smart, don't be afraid to ask questions, accept that not everyone will agree with you, be respectful, not condescending, and keep washing your hands.