March Goat Milk Soap Thank You Pack

On this bright and beautiful March day, with green grass sprouting, the world is full of new things, and good news.

As I have been saying, and I am far from being an expert, I think we will see our economy on an upswing. I developed the attitude to not worry. Why worry? Worry does not change a thing. Well, let's back into that, worry does change our happiness. It does change our demeanor. But worry does not change the circumstances that led to the problem. And, as I have been saying, I encourage everyone to be creative, if you feel you want to be, start that Etsy store, fire up a website, promote your hand-crafted products in a farmer's market, or start a small business. You will be in the train car on the down side and you will be in the front car on the swing back up. For about a week the "experts" have been reporting that the economy is strengthening. I am not worried. I do hope people begin to rebuild their lives, however (those that have lost jobs and homes). But whatever it brings, be happy, do not worry.

On this bright and beautiful day it is good to see the animals outside, enjoying the sun. Occasionally stopping to munch, as Aleecia is in this photo. But more often I see the girls kicking up their heels and playing chase across their lot. Carefree worry-less animals!

And on this bright and beautiful spring day I am announcing a package on the way to Florida, destination Casa Hice. A random pick of commenters on this blog resulted in pulling Alix's name from the hat. Thank you, Alix. Her package consists of one of her favorite scents, a lilac based soap, and a lilac goat milk lotion, very fitting for spring. I see my lilac bushes are budding out green today, and I cannot wait to smell their scent in a month or so! I agree with Alix, a very nice scent.

Thank you everyone!

It Isn't Just A Dog's World...The Opportunity Is Now

Me and the boy spent some time together today...the boy is a 90 pound boxer named Spike. More on that later in this article...

No, it isn't just a dog's world, the opportunity is now. What am I referring to? I am thinking on terms of today's economy, both business and personal opportunity.

I have done a lot of talking recently regarding the positive side to the downturn in our pocketbooks, with many references to what I think the opportunities are.

I do a lot of business reading. One of my favorite spots is Entrepreneur.com. I also focus in on stories that relate to businesses that are succeeding in today's world because they remember who they are, where they started, and the basics in life (caring for the backbone, the people that do the work), along with good products at low prices, such as Chick-fil-A and Dunkin' Donuts.

Today is a grand opportunity to start a small business, even in the current downturn. It is also the time to sharpen up your own personal people skills, and believe me, it goes very much hand in hand.

If you were dealing with a person, or a business, wouldn't you want to have contact with them again if they were honest, hard working, not afraid to show up early or work late, with old fashioned values? I would. I talked with a customer service rep the other day regarding my internet service. He actually took the time to speak with me on a personal level. I felt he was interested in fixing the problem. He gave me a very positive feeling about the company that he works for. Customer service gets a gold star when you talk to a person that emits respect for you. They fix the problem for you, or offer a good solution, and do not doubt your value. That is true customer service, and is true on the personal level, caring for the neighbor (as you want to be cared for yourself).

On a strictly business level, what about making sure every dollar counts? What about sound business practices (not cheating on the accounting)?

I see a lot of back to the basics in business and personal lives. I pat you on the back first (because I care about you). Yes, it can happen, and I believe it is happening! We can all succeed with a bit of effort. I love it. And I do think we are learning a lot from our world today. It isn't all about money (I want to see happy customers, and people that feel valued first), it is about who we are, and those that we care for. True success in life follows.

Now...back to the boy. Spike is from my first litter of boxers. The boxer boy did not get the training that his (late) father, Samson, got from me. He rode in the truck with me this morning when I ran a few chores. He has a lot to learn, almost wore me out! But he is worth it. I should have started on him when he was a 25 pound puppy, not a 90 pound, 4 year old boy. Does he look worn out in the pic? He was. But it was worth the trip, and the effort.

Enjoy your life!

Reclaimed Lumber A Treasure This Saturday

Call the couple that lives at Annie's Goat Hill a little on the different side. But are we?

Bob likes to work with wood, especially reclaimed lumber.

I love old things. I have several things around the house that others have asked, "Why did you want that?"

These past few months, each time we drove to pick up a load of hay, we noticed an old red barn being dismantled (but never caught anyone at the job site). Once it became obvious that the barn was being taken down very carefully, Bob decided to find out who owned the property. We live amongst of community of Amish and Mennonites. Someone normally knows something, if you start asking. The person working on the barn project, cool as can be, does indeed rebuild old barns! He gave us permission to remove any lumber or materials left on the ground (not a structural part).

We claimed red bead board siding, other types of red painted lumber, and my treasures are...(drum roll)...an old barn door with rusty hardware! I am thinking about having it hinged in 3 places and using it as a screen in my living room. Yep, you read that right! And, under the huge piles of rickety lumber I found an old primitive dresser. The dresser was beyond repair but the drawers looked like keepsakes to me. As you can see in the picture above, they are heavy duty drawers. I actually could see them hanging on the wall in the front room of my house. Some of the drawers have 4 compartments. But they are too heavy, despite my plaster walls, I still think I would create troubles. So, we are going to build a rustic desk of sorts, and attach the drawers to the back, as if they were shelves, compartments. I am way too excited!

Annie's Goat Hill sells gift sets in wooden crates, and when I say they are made from reclaimed lumber, you can trust that they are. You may be getting a part of a 100 year old barn, you may be getting a part of an old piece of non-repairable furniture, you never know. And in these times, I try to go as green as possible (re-use paper, packing materials, and wood). It is no longer tacky, it is smart to the environment and economical!

Some of the barn siding...

Cheap Is The Rave?

Just what I have been thinking! Exactly!

When I tell my friends that the recession is good for us because we are learning, I am seeing proof of that.

We are learning to change our way of purchasing (buying carefully). We are looking beyond what we would have bought in the past (without a second thought in prior years). And we are living with things that we might have quickly thrown aside before our economy flip-flopped. What is that doing for us? We are learning! We are growing!

Not only are we learning to spend wisely, we are learning to deal with more challenges, and we are gaining wisdom as I write this. I love it.

I have learned to look at the glass as half full, an integral part of my personal being. Because of that it, I have looked for the silver lining since our economy challenge has unfolded into what it is today.

Before I go on, I do feel sorry for people that have lost their homes, their vehicles, and worst of all, their jobs! Please do not begin to feel I am making light of those horrible situations. I have shed many tears for loved ones that have not been able to hold onto the roofs over their heads, or their source of income. Better days are ahead, they truly are. You will look back on this period of time as a bridge to better waters, there is no doubt about it!

Last week, Annie's Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps started a Brown Bag Special. It is booming. I am helping my customers make wise decisions in buying good for their skin soap (no wrappers, no frills, just the soap), and they are helping me by buying soaps that I might not have otherwise sold. I am cleaning the store shelves of bars of soap that weigh a little less than 4 ounces (to sell in the brighter days ahead). And, I am making room for the Sunshine Packs that are in the works (more on the packs later). Spring is going to come, and so is Sunshine! And I want to spread it around!

Back to my real topic, and it goes hand in hand with wise spending, cheap is the rave? Look what CNN wrote today: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/04/cheap.new.chic/index.html?eref=rss_topstories. Granted, not too many of us can buy $7,000 watches or purses, but we know what it means to cut back. And yes, I agree, Cheap is the New Chic!!!

I say, get on the bandwagon. Decide what is most important (the topic I posted on yesterday). We can beat this thing. Perhaps not painlessly, but we can do it with fun, and with a fresh new outlook on life. Goodwill clothes on the runway? Yes!

March 2009 Brown Bag Goat Milk Soap Special

In today's economy do you brown bag your lunch? I do!

Well, come on over and enjoy a brown bag special with me, but keep one thing in mind when you sit in the sunshine and enjoy your brown bag special, the condiments and wrappers are not included, what you will be receiving with your order is assorted goat milk soaps, 5 total!

Today I begin my March 2009 Goat Milk Soap Brown Bag Special (scroll to the bottom of The Goat Milk Soap Store to order).

Yes, the soap is shipped in a brown bag, with an Annie's Goat Hill receipt attached (listed with the soaps of my choice). You will receive 5 soaps, approximately 3.5 ounces each, for 15.00, with a flat rate 5.00 shipping fee (shipped in a box via USPS), continental U.S. customers only, 20.00 total order.

Memories of lunch on the park bench, in the sunshine, 80 degrees, puts a smile on the face!

Soap Shop Activities

Good Morning!

Yesterday was a busy day. We visited handfuls of shops, some with pretty interesting soap.

One $15.00 bar of soap really fascinated me. The shop manager told me that she tried the soap herself. She said you have to have a wide place to set the oblong-rounded soap or you constantly have it dropping to the tub floor. We had a good giggle over that discussion!

I can honestly say this, none of the big brand soaps that I picked up during my excursion matched up to my rustic goat milk soaps. They do not smell as good, and most importantly, they are definitely not the silky soaps that Annie's Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps are. I am not Crabtree & Evelyn, no doubt, but their goat milk soap holds no candle to mine!

In this economy, many of the local shops (in a 5 county area) are leery of adding products to their line. They are having difficulty selling what they have on hand. The walk-in customers, holding onto every penny, are extra concentrated with caution in our rural area. I am not sure if you are aware of this, but our area has been suffering from a lack of jobs (as the overall U.S. is), but we are also gradually losing 10,000 jobs out of one location. The story appeared on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago. I also wrote my own article on the topic in December.

I refuse to succumb to the economy, I am too happy to let that even begin to etch the surface. For all of us, no matter what our jobs are (mine is a soap and bath product maker, goat keeper), we will be on the upswing again, and when it happens, if we are smart enough to keep our feet on the ground, the roller coaster car is going to sweep us back up up first, right on front, and carry us to the top of the hill in front of those that missed the car the first time!

Today, after I go and visit the Country Home Crafts shop, in Hillsboro, Ohio, where I am gratefully moving products into this week, I will begin filling the curing racks in my own shop again. And the buzz in my head says, you may see a change in my own shop in the very new future. An exciting change!

I have a lot of blog reading and commenting to catch up on! I haven't forgotten...just swamped, and still nursing a very achy back.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Spring Fever

It seems we all have spring fever! There is not a lot that we can do for this ailment, there are no special remedies to sooth our souls. We simply dream of what we will be doing when the thaw sets in. As many of us do, myself included, we make the best use of the time. In my case, I will work in the soap shop as much as possible, and I am working on the office. The brand new shredder is going to be worn out very quickly! :)

Yesterday I walked into my kitchen and caught a glimpse of my canning jars. These jars are at least 5 years old. To the left is a jar filled with dried dill weed. Do you know, I can walk past that jar and be caught by the scent of dill wafting through the air? I love it! To the right are tomatoes, yellow and red banana peppers, and finally a jar of jalapenos and other hot peppers. It has been a very long time since I canned! I miss it, and plan to work it back into my daily life this summer.

My plans for the summer are to move our yard shed. Put some siding on it to make it appear as a cabin of sorts. I am going to begin my cottage/whimsical garden, with a picked fence surrounding!Part of the garden will contain seasonal vegetables, part will be herbs for the soaps and cooking, and part will be zinnias and marigolds (easy to grow), and I hope to start a path of roses (I miss them terribly), along with some other perennial plants. This project will take years, and money, so I can be patient. It will be a fun work in progress! One of my favorite places, and I do not live nearby now, is Nashville, Indiana. I spent a great deal of time there, not so much spending money, but appreciating the gardens that surrounded the various shops. This picture is similar to the types of shops that I so much enjoyed.

My grandmother was quite the gardener. There was no better slaw maker in southeast Missouri! She used a hand held grater, such as the one displayed on a collection shelf in my kitchen. I love the red handle!
Do not look too closely, tee hee, I see cob webs! I think we have a lot to learn from our elders, and others. We can save a bundle of money for ourselves and be much happier people, just by putting a little effort into our lives to sustain some of our own nutritional needs.

Anyhow...how many votes are there for 80 degrees, sunshine on our backs, watching our vegetable gardens grow, and even canning and freezing to make us healthier and to save money? Put one in for me! Wait...perhaps I will cheat, put 2 or more in for me. :)

Sharing Our Harvest

I have been working on inventory in the shop. Today, I announced on the news page of our website that we will not be holding an Odds and Ends soap sale. Instead, I will be installing clearance sections into our online soap store. My goal is to have this completed by 1/12/09.

Onto a different, and very important topic...last night a friend forwarded an article to me out of one of our local newspapers. My friend, Bob, knows that I am very much interested in agriculture, small business, and ways to support others (beyond monetary). From reading the article, the brain wheels started turning. It is amazing what we think of when we really put our minds to work.

How many times have we had such a bounty of vegetables grow from our gardens, even after canning and freezing, that we have turned to giving extra food items away before they spoil? We give the food to neighbors, friends, co-workers, but how often do we give the food to the homeless, shelters, or food banks? And I began thinking this goes beyond perishable vegetables, what do we do with our unwanted soap products? We might think that the bar of lemon soap, for example, is way too lemony for us, or way too lemony to sell, and perhaps too ugly. But who says that small and ugly soap would not help inspire a person in the shelter to see a brighter horizon? Or what if that soap puts a smile on that person's face for one day?

To keep this article within reasonable length, I am going to insert bits and pieces and links of what I have read today.

Meetings are going to be held locally regarding the aspects of development of a local community garden, put together by volunteers, with the produce being given directly to local ministries and related organizations (the last sentence really touched my heart):

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=172305&SectionID=49&SubSectionID=&S=1

"Sugartree Ministries is likely to receive the greatest amount of produce from the farm, based on the heavy community involvement and its central location, said Swindler. “I’m very excited about what this could mean for feeding people in Wilmington,” said Willoughby. And, he said, for the people themselves. Just imagine a sign over a mound of fresh produce, reading something like this: grown especially for you, by your neighbors."

I did a Google search on charity gardens. Americans may have a lot to learn from our friends across the seas. Entities such as the following have been around for quite some time:

http://www.ngs.org.uk/gen/about_us.aspx

"Few people realize that through this we raise £2 million each year for nursing, caring and gardening charities. Since 1927 we have raised over £40 million (£22 million in the last 10 years). Our office is small so most of the money goes straight to the charities we support."

I found good links for ways to share your local harvest, and if I had the time just this very moment, I would imagine there are many more links on the internet. These are now bookmarked, and I will be reading more! Here is one example:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/org_vegetable_garden/110595

"Rather than alienate friends and family with the results of your exuberant gardening turn to those who would truly appreciate it- the needy poor in your community. When your neighbors lock their doors, and your family shuns your tomatoes- look to your neighbors elsewhere in your community so that your efforts will not go to waste but uplift the hearts and souls of people in need."

Amen!

The Farmer's Diner

We do not eat many meals out these days. Everything seems to taste pre-frozen, boxed, processed, salty, and very expensive to boot.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading on farm sustainability and supporting the local farm. In my readings I stumbled across The Farmers Diner site. They seem to have a great concept started for bringing back a network of restaurants that utilizes locally grown food. What an ingenious way to make money (through their own idea) and to help bring the local economy(s) back as well!

What a mission statement!

Quotes from the Farmer's Diner About Us page:

"The Farmers Diner. Food From Here. We're a great diner based on a simple idea: prepare and serve hearty meals with fresh ingredients from area farmers and small-scale producers."

"Our goal is a national network of The Farmers Diner restaurants, serving typical diner food sourced from local area farmers and producers. We expect The Farmers Diner to be a leader in family/casual dining because local fresh food tastes superior, customers prefer to support their neighbors and communities, and we will always provide great service at reasonable prices."

http://www.farmersdiner.com/index.php

Not Just The Large Cities-Job Losses

With talks of the auto makers in trouble, the decrease in fuel consumption (despite the lower prices at the pump), and layoffs amongst many city, county and school employees (including universities), I wanted to give an outline of how our local (and rural area) will be suffering from job losses.

We are going to lose 9,800 jobs in a 5 county area (a mainly rural area). Approximately 2,600 of those jobs are people that live in my county. This major job loss stems from DHL pulling their business, taking it elsewhere, back to Germany. The ABX employees that work at the airstrip, ensuring DHL gets their daily shipments in and out, will lose their employment. A percentage already have.

The commercial air strip is 25 minutes away from our farm. Many of our neighbors, friends and famly are employed at ABX/DHL. Some of the employees are farmers, most cannot afford the current diesel fuel prices, and some that cannot either afford or obtain health care without the 2nd job (1st job farming). If they cannot afford diesel, and if they cannot afford health care, I can see hay, feed, and (human) food prices on the increase. I can see many more foreclosures on farms and properties.

Last year ABX employees started posting red signs in their yards, similar to real estate sale signs, to indicate that they were employed at ABX. For a while, and still to this day on some occasions, it brings the goose bumps up to see how many people are going to be affected by these jobs losses. Within one mile of home, I can count at least 7 households that will be affected.

We have already seen businesses close, with more to follow. We have been told by our local real estate experts that our property values are to decrease, and the economic experts are saying the values will stay in a slump for at least the next 2 decades. The example given, to put this in perspective, a property valued at 195,000 a few years ago, will be valued at 145,000 within the next year. Because of the economy, we have been told property taxes will be increasing this coming year as well. More taxes, less property values.

Some of my friends are farmers at night, school teachers during the day. They are concerned about the children attending their schools. A nearby school is expecting to see 40% of the children's parents unemployed once DHL completely pulls out.

The pull out is expected to be nearly complete by 1/31/09. We hear news daily of the next round of job losses. As in today's newspaper article: http://www.timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=18&SubSectionID=175&ArticleID=159893&TM=46995.52

In my estimation, there is nothing we can do to stop DHL. United States government officials have tried, politicians have tried, people have tried to stop the deal. The deal is happening.

My husband has been unemployed for 6 months. Yesterday's paper had no job listings in it, the big 0! And I keep thinking about these 9,800 people. Who is going to employ them? Is there going to be a people bail out (like a big bank or car manufacturer might receive)? Help is needed.

I cannot change the economy. I cannot change any of the after affects. The only thing I can do is hang tight, prepare to be a good community member. Keep my boots on, and hold on to them snugly. It could be a slippery ride. They say what goes down has to come back up. That is what I am focused on, the ride back up.

I am a optimist. This article is not meant to be negative, it is just factual. I wish we all had an answer!

Until the prayers are answered, keep your faith!

Back To Basics

I paid the bill for the newspaper yesterday. I debated on canceling the subscription, thinking that the newspaper could be read online for free. But there is something about taking the 5 minutes that it takes to sift through the printed copy each day (except Sunday, and now Monday) to find a tidbit that catches our eye. Today I found just that tidbit.

It has been reported that there are approximately 9 million less travelers on our roads than there were about a year ago when the gas prices began to rise. Even with the dropping of gas prices, the amount of drivers declined this October.

Speculation is that the overall economy might be affecting people, leading them to choose to not spend the money on gas despite the lower cost. I agree with this idea to a point, however, I also feel optimistic that people have learned to stay home.

My take is, when a person learns to relax, they become aware of an entire different world. Learning to relax means less going out to eat, less trips to the store, keeping the car in the parking spot at home, and it also means spending more time with family and friends.

I hope and pray that my theory is correct. I, myself, am glad that I have slowed down on my spending habits. I group many chores into one. I now conciously group my needs and chores so that the trip to town is worth it's time and expense. When I am out, I look right back towards coming back home.

I have never been a huge shopper, but I did occsionally enjoy a planned day of shopping (department store, book store, craft mall, hair dresser, and then finally the grocery store on the way home), but something has now changed. So much of what I see appears to be junk, junk that I do not need to spend my hard earned money on. And, based on what my friends are saying, they are seeing many items as junk too. Why didn't we see this before we felt the financial crunch? I really do not have an answer for it, but I can say now, the eyes have opened.

I went to the big W.M. today, my most unfavorite place to shop. My trip was made to purchase my husband's prescriptions, and one or two needed items. What did I see in the center aisle of that wonderous store? A gift set for a female. The price was good, $5.00. What did the set contain? In the little colorful plastic gift bag was lotion, body wash, a bar of soap, a bath fizzie, and a bath scrub. I make soap and bath products. One bar of my soap is sold for nearly as much as that entire gift set. But what was really in that set? It surely was not very natural. It could not have been of any quality, based on the fact that it could be sold (retail) for $5.00! Scary, isn't it? I would rather save my $5.00 . And I hope others hold their chin up and save their $5.00 as well.

Better times are ahead.

And if you are feeling the warmth of back to basics...kudos for you! I pray that you are. We will all get through this. I will not give up the things that I love. I will not release my hopes and dreams. I will not spend $5.00 on something that isn't good for me, or you, or for our economy.