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winter routines & blahs
January 31, 2007
I'm very good at setting routines, planning schedules and imagining how disciplined I'm going to be. Give me a few weeks though and inevitably I hit the "I'm tired of this routine" stage. Maybe it's the colder weather, for which I'm actually grateful after watching An Inconvenient Truth. Maybe it's the midwinter blahs. Whatever the reason I find myself struggling to maintain the schedule I set out for the kids & I just a few weeks ago. It has us out of the house 4 out of 5 weekdays which is a lot for me but it's keeping us physically & intellectually active during the usually indoor bound winter. Last week I reached my emotional and physical limit Wednesday night. And then I kind of crashed and stayed home for a couple days and by the end of Sunday night, with a freshly made batch of soap scenting my home, I felt ready to tackle life again. Hum 3 days on, 4 days off - sounds kind of unsustainable in the long term but quite restorative when necessary.
I think this is why I love summer so much - it's easy to chuck the routine (if it exists at all) and hit the beach, putter in the garden. I'm rather undisciplined in the "do this everyday category" except for eating. In realizing all this there is a measure of accepting myself, my inclinations and limitations and building that into my weekly routines. And then there's the hard reality of character building inspite of my natural tendencies and weaknesses. Currently I'm trying to balance those two. On the bright side, it looks like this week I will make it past tomorrow night. Thursday our plans have changed so we can stay home all day and then Celine and I are going to an Adult Ed course on starting annuals. Gardening in February. Couldn't be better timing.
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barbara on Jan. 31, 2007, 7:20 a.m.
We are enjoying the soap that you sent at Christmas. It is lovely. So what are the basic ingredients? How long does it take to make? Where did you learn to make it? I love homemade soap. There is a lady who makes it and sells it in Rocky. She has some interesting scents and the soap is very gentle on the skin.
renee on Jan. 31, 2007, 12:53 p.m.
Soap making is my latest hobby and I love it. I am now making all our family's soap and making it for gifts. I taught myself by reading books about soap making- there are many available. Also some great websites.
The basics of soapmaking are this: You heat oils & fats. You mix lye & water. When these two separate solutions come to the same temperature you stir them together. A chemical reaction occurs which changes the properties of the individual ingredients. When the mixture reaches a certain stage called trace you add your essential oils and additives. Then you pour the liquid into a mold (plastic container or box lined with plastic bag). Let sit for 24 hours, then cut the bars and then let cure for 1 month. This length of time is needed for the chemical reaction to finish.