Almost the end of the busy season.

by Veronica on April 6, 2017

in Life

We’re at the tail end of the crazy busy season, and while I’m not dying, I’m feeling a bit under the weather. I’ve managed a few weekends off over the Summer season, but my body is telling me it wasn’t enough time, wasn’t enough resting.

It doesn’t help that Evelyn’s (very successful) entry into Kindergarten has seen her bring home a whole new slew of viruses, with sore throats and coughing, and something which seems to involve a headache which panadol can’t shake and oh my god, how many more painkillers can one woman take? (Answer: A lot. A LOT MORE.)

Which is to say, things are good, and successful, and crazy busy.

If you’re on Facebook you’ll know that we applied for some extra money on our mortgage and were successful, so hopefully we can start building an extension as soon as the busy season eases off. An extension which will involve, amongst other things, a studio and small shop front. I cannot wait to have my own space, and to be able to offer retail sales at least a few days a week, from home. Markets are lovely, but they are a lot of work and there aren’t many of them through the winter, so the year feels uneven, with craziness, followed by a period of sloth-like lack of routine. Neither of these are situations in which I thrive, if I’m being honest.

Sadly, it means my small garden I have been babying along for the last five years (through toddlers and puppies and dogs and chaos) will have to be torn out, but if it means I get a studio and a sun room and a bedroom which has a real door and isn’t directly across the hallway from my tween daughter, I’m okay with that. We’re holding out a little longer until the blueberries and the small elder tree hibernate for winter so I can attempt a transplant, but we’ll see. At least that’s what I am telling myself.

So that’s a thing which will be happening.

Kids are good, everything is good really. The business trucks along nicely, and I’m hoping I have enough stock to see me through two more major markets before I have to start making soap again. Don’t get me wrong, I love making soap, but my joints do not love me at all right now, and heavy lifting is a bit beyond my reach. I’m relying on previously made stock and hoping to cut down on some of the increasingly large range, to make it easier for myself. Well, mostly to make it easier to find room for something. 100 different soaps in stock is a bit ridiculous, really.

I’m desperately waiting on hand cream tins to arrive – tracking says they’ve been handed off to a courier, but I needed them three days ago. I have enough tins to fill a wholesale order due out, and then I might have to use plastic for Autumn Fest stock. (Autumn Fest is on in New Norfolk this weekend, 9th April, if you’re local, it’s a lot of fun. I will be there.)

I’ve missed writing, and found myself awake at 3am last night, waiting for panadol to kick in and writing blog posts in my head, so no promises, but this space is mine and I paid for the damn hosting, so I may as well use it. At least a little. Sleepless Nights is never going to be about children again, but there’s space for my writing to be about work and markets and soap and EDS and why that damn giraffe hasn’t had her baby yet.

We’ll see how it goes.

river April 6, 2017 at 1:50 pm

There’s a pregnant giraffe somewhere?
Lovely to hear your business is doing well and sorry I can’t afford to buy, but it is what it is, I’m currently saving every spare dollar in order to give my grand daughter a wedding gift in November.
Woo-Hoo on the house extension. It will be like living in a mansion until you get used to the space.
If Panadol doesn’t shift Evelyn’s headaches, possibly they are allergy related. I get migraines from some plant pollens if I haven’t taken antihistamine. You could try a child dose of an antihistamine and if the headache goes away in about a half hour you’ll know.
The other possibility is eye strain, maybe glasses are needed. Check with your doctor though, don’t be taking my word for anything.

Veronica April 6, 2017 at 2:00 pm

Pregnant giraffe is live streaming on youtube. She’s very close to giving birth. http://www.aprilthegiraffe.com/ or Animal Adventure Park on facebook to find the latest (and correct) youtube link.

Congratulations on your granddaughter’s wedding! You must be so excited.

It is going to be huge. We’re doing it cheaply by buying a kit shed (rated for living in), so we can effectively double our space without spending more money than we have. So desperate for it, we’re all on top of each other at the moment.

The headaches were mine, not Eve’s, thank goodness. She would have been super miserable. Will try antihistamine though, I have been sneezing a lot, and it can’t hurt. Definitely not eye strain, I had my eyes checked last month, hurrah.

x

Marylin April 7, 2017 at 10:20 am

Ha, my friend and I had bets on who’d give birth first… the giraffe or one of our mutual friends. I bet on our friend, and she had her baby girl yesterday, so I’m getting treated to lunch once the kids are back to school after Easter break! 😉

Veronica April 7, 2017 at 10:35 am

Bloody giraffe! Every time it looks like she’s getting close, the sun goes down and everything stops.

Marylin April 7, 2017 at 10:23 am

Hope you’re able to get at least *almost* enough rest sweety!
Sounds like the business is going well – wish I lived close enough to buy some of your soaps. And YAY on the extension!! So happy to hear you’re able to expand your home and have more space, and a studio and shop front? So awesome!!
Nearly 10 years after we first “met” online and we’re still here, our kids are still alive and thriving, and we’re both not completely insane… I’m calling it a win! 😀

Veronica April 7, 2017 at 10:36 am

10 years! It’s been amazing. I’ve got that writing itch again. Maybe I just needed time off to recalibrate away from mummyblogging.

Extension, omg. I need it so much. My house is too small for the amount of people we have in it.

Marylin April 7, 2017 at 10:41 am

Ditto! How random that we’d both get the itch at the same time! Blogging buddies forever, lol! 😉

I need a bigger house to keep all the Stuff that we’ve accumulated. I mean I could de-clutter, but I NEED all the things we have, ya know?

Veronica April 7, 2017 at 10:56 am

Ha, I hear you. I have books in boxes because I know one day I’ll have bookshelves again instead of just curing shelves. One day!

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