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Administrator on November 29th, 2006
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Anyone who has ever worked in retail will know that this time of year is crucial. This is generally when the profit for the entire year is made, so it’s “make it or break it” time! Since I’ve been in business for just over 21 years, it’s beginning to wear me down. Managing to keep my “brick and mortar” store going, keeping up with the production of my handmade gifts, AND managing to bake all the holiday cookies, fetching and decorating a tree, wrapping presents, etc., etc., etc., is beginning to seem overwhelming. At least I’ve been able to do most of my own holiday shopping on-line this year, which saves a lot of running around time!
I’m assuming that everyone is familiar with “Murphy’s Law” (the perversity of the universe tends to the maximum — otherwise stated as “anything that can go wrong most certainly will!”) I’m a firm believer myself. For instance, since my martini candles have been in demand over the last couple of months, I placed a large order of martini glasses with my glassware supplier. Now, suddenly, there seems to be more interest in the Pirate’s Treasure candles and other drink candles so I need to shift gears, order different glassware, and try to find a few more hours in the day in order to keep up with it all.
Somehow we all seem to muddle through this crazy time one way or another. To all of you who also feel that they are chasing themselves around in circles, stop — take a deep breath, and if at all possible, just take a little time out to be good to yourselves. The holiday madness will be over again soon. I’d like to wish you all a cool Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday you may be celebrating.
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Administrator on November 12th, 2006
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It’s getting to be THAT time of year again and I have to decide what kind of pies to bake for Thanksgiving and which kinds of cookies I’ll be baking for Yuletide. I’m beginning to dread this time of year as there’s just more to do than any one person can accomplish.
My garden produced a surprise this year —- something I’ve dubbed "squmpkins". Apparently pumpkins and squash can cross and it wasn’t that I’d managed to mix up my seeds after all. The seeds that I’d saved from the yellow crookneck summer squash produced some squash vines and some that grew strange-shaped orange-colored fruits. I guess we’ll have Squmpkin Pie this year (but next year I’m going to buy some new seeds for the summer squash!)
I usually bake five or six kinds of cookies and send some home with each of my siblings. We also mail some to England for family members on my husband’s side. It costs a small fortune to ship, but they all seem to enjoy them. In order to get all of this done while taking care of my hobby shop and tending to my increasing web business (the martini candles have been especially popular), I have to start mixing up the cookie dough right after Thanksgiving and either freezing it or baking and freezing the finished cookies.
My poor neglected garden plot is looking awful as I still have to get out there and remove all the tomato cages and the viney stuff so that we can get it tilled before the ground freezes. Half the time it just doesn’t get done, but I suspect that this has been contributing to the bug problems during the growing season, so am determined that it WILL get done somehow this year. It’s raining today, but not terribly hard at the moment, so I may just have to grit my teeth and go brave the elements to get some clean-up done. Adios for now.