From Soaping to Farming

For any of you who haven't checked over at my personal blog (Through a Glass, Darkly) lately, here's how Maggie is looking. She's a happy, playful, fearless gal who loves to be outside above all things, and hates being in her crate. She cries. We try not to listen.

Red Robin Farm already has a presence each week at the Oriental Farmers' Market, although right now our sign reads "Red Robin Soaps," a business I've had for about five years now. On my market table today, among other things, I had some Purse Babies.

And some crocheted toboggan hats. But since it was 80 degrees, nobody was looking for a hat.

This is an easy-peasy pattern, so fast, and very adaptable to head size.

From that same hat pattern I adapted a head-band too, and these sell well in the winter.

Today I handed out my very last business card from the batch Adam bought me a few years ago. It said "Red Robin Soaps." So it's time to get on the computer and design some new ones to buy, this time with our farm name. We're using Julia's red robin picture this time, of course!

I also dropped by the local pottery store, Pigments of Imagination, to deliver some more lotion bars and talk about the new packaging. I think I decided on the burlap and twine.

Adam filled in some of his trenches this morning, and we picked up pecans this afternoon. Phew!

Then, I knew I had to make a new soap batch if I wanted to have any more soaps for Christmas sales. I was nearly out of lavender and tea tree, plus I wanted to make "Christmas Tree" and "Warm Cider" scents. So I made a batch of soap.

It's resting now, getting into the gel stage under warming towels.

Here's some lemongrass poppyseed, a favorite.

Adam's wheat and barley are looking quite nice. He needs to buy more pipe for his watering lines. Having even the smallest of farms involves lots of work and lots of waiting.