Life Is Good

Hello, dear reader! I am happy to be back. Back on the internet, back from Ohio, and back on the farm. August has been a whirlwind, and I am happy to be back to my regular routine. We have The Shaker Woods Festival under our belt. It was an amazing opportunity, and I am so grateful we took the leap and were able to participate. Thank you to all who came out to support us. Seeing your friendly, familiar faces means more to me than you can imagine. Again, my “soap family” amazes me.

The Shaker Woods Festival got off to a bumpy start. I went against my instincts, listened to my nay-saying husband, and decided to forego any of my decorations to dress things up and make our booth look interesting. What I discovered was our booth was dark, our products blended with the shelves, and this didn’t entice anyone to come in and look around. The second week, I broke out all the decorations I had been “hoarding,” as my wonder buns calls it. With his mad McGyver skills, Eric rigged a battery-powered lighting system; we offered a Shaker Special and demonstrated our products on a small table outside our booth. This definitely got people’s attention, and we were much busier than during week one. The three weeks were filled with lessons and insights, and we have a better idea of how we will improve next year. Overall, I would call it a success.

Although trying new things, going to new places, and meeting new people are nice, it is even nicer to be home. I missed my dog, my grumpy goose, my pain in the a$$ ducks, my chickens, and my goats. When my bib overall wearing wonder buns worked away from home, I used to grumble that staying at a resort, eating out, and enjoying room service was a luxury, not a job. He used to tell me that sometimes there just isn’t anything better than a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup eaten at your own table. I pish-poshed him and told him he was crazy. I even offered to travel for him. Well, dear reader, I now understand what he meant. After three long weekends of being away from home, I now have a greater appreciation for home. I believe our farm family is happy to have us home as well.

On another positive note, our internet provider has changed ownership, and I am cautiously hopeful our internet service will improve. To date, I am impressed with their level of commitment and service. Two weeks without internet service was painful. Running a small business is filled with challenges, but lacking basic info structure and internet service makes it almost impossible. Cheers to the new owner for getting us back online. Thank you, dear reader, for your patience and understanding. We appreciate you.

As August comes to a close, I look back with gratitude for new opportunities and face today with a new appreciation for my home, life, and lifestyle. I look ahead with newfound motivation and excitement. This month reinforced that I love what I do, who I do it with, and who I meet along the way. Life is indeed good.

I look forward to this week’s blog posts that will hopefully make you laugh, encourage you to think, spark excitement, and entertain you—cheers to you, dear reader, for all you do to make my world a better place. As always, stay safe, be smart, know I am grateful to you, and keep washing your hands.