Note to self: Having a home business is not for the faint of heart. Add children to a business in which people randomly drop by our house at a moment's notice and things can get a little sticky.
A few weeks ago, a nice lady called around 9:00 in the morning and asked if she could pick up soap. I usually get excited when someone calls to order soap, especially if it's a new customer. And I'm such a people-pleaser that I tend to forget what's going on at the moment and just say yes to whatever they ask. So when she said, "Can I come pick it up in a few minutes?" I replied, "Of course," forgetting that I had two naked boys in the tub, 3 loads of laundry sprawled all over the living room, two bars of soap to wrap, and a beautiful me who had yet to put on normal clothes or take a shower. Note to self: Look at the house before you tell a person to come over.
Leaving my oldest boys in the bathroom, I ran to the laundry room, where we store our soap and began to quickly wrap the last two lavender bars we had. As I was wrapping, I heard little footsteps coming around the corner, and I asked, "What are you boys doing?" To which Gideon replied, "We're naked Momma!" Note to self: Naked children running around the house probably do not impress new customers.
I ran back into the living room and threw some clothes on the boys. With that done, and I brought in the laundry basket and had the boys help me throw all the clothes in the basket. They were wonderful helpers, even though a dirty diaper and a wet pull-up ended up in the pile of clean clothes. Note to self: Fold the laundry when it comes out of the dryer.
After the living room was picked up, I then proceeded to dress myself appropriately. Note to self: Pajama pants with cupcakes on them are not professional. I decided to put in my contacts because I was thinking I looked like a little girl in my glasses, and I didn't want this woman to think I was 17. But, the night before I had run out of contact solution. I plead insanity here, because I decided to soak them in nasal saline spray for the night thinking a saline solution is a saline solution no matter what it's supposed to be used for. Note to self: Salt in the eyes really, really burns.
So here I was trying to fold my laundry, and my eyes are watering and burning so bad I can't even see. I quickly remove my contacts and wash out my eyes, but they continue to burn, burn, burn like a ring of fire. Two rings actually. I put my glasses on hoping that they'd cover up my super-red eyes. Note to self: It's better to look like a little girl in glasses than look high without them.
In the end, the wonderful lady allowed me an entire hour before she came by the house, enabling me to not only dress but to do my hair, fold the laundry, and finally put new contacts in. And without fail it seems that the mornings I have it all together--you know, clean house, clean kids, clean me--no one stops by. But the mornings life is complete chaos, everyone wants to come over.
Note to self: Seeing the comedy in daily life is sometimes the only way to survive it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Calm Before the Storm
Right now is a "quiet" time for us on the farm. Thinking that it is "quiet" right now is almost laughable, because I feel like a chicken with my head cut off sometimes trying to get everything done around here, but it is true that this is the calm time for us. Our does have been dried up since we bred them in September to allow their bodies a break. The stress of breeding season is over, the bustle of the holidays are over, and everyone can relax for a month or so.
But, towards the end of February kidding will begin. We have three does (female goats) due to kid and they could have up to 4 babies apiece, though 2 babies is the norm. Last year, all three of our goats had twins, though only 2 sets survived. Two weeks prior to the girls' due dates, we constantly check on them for signs of labor, sometimes even in the middle of the night, because we want to be present for the births. Last year I remember driving the van to the barn at 1 in the morning (I drove because it was cold and snowy, and I was barely awake) thinking "If our neighbors see me doing this they are going to think I'm crazy." Then I remembered that most people think that about us anyway.
After the doe gives birth, we remove the kids from their mothers. There are a few reasons for doing this. First, goats can pass on a disease called CAE to their young through their milk, and so we remove the young to keep them from getting this disease. Second, you don't get much milk from a goat when their babies are constantly nursing. So, once the babies are removed from their mothers, the babies will go to our garage where the boys and I will be feeding them 3-4 times a day. Not only will we be feeding (more than likely) 6 babies 3 times a day, but we will be milking does twice a day. Then begins the process of straining and pasteurizing milk, washing what feels like 100 jars a day for milk storage, freezing milk for soapmaking, finding time for soapmaking. Then before we know it, the time will come to begin the garden planting, the farmer's market, the craft show season, along with all the other chaos that accompanies summer. Now do you understand what I mean by "storm"? Don't get me wrong, I love the life we've chosen to live, but I feel like I'm taking one of those huge breaths you take before you dive into a pool and try to swim all the way to the other end without coming up for air. Or maybe I'm the only that does that.
No matter, we're just trying to relax for the moment until all the craziness begins!
But, towards the end of February kidding will begin. We have three does (female goats) due to kid and they could have up to 4 babies apiece, though 2 babies is the norm. Last year, all three of our goats had twins, though only 2 sets survived. Two weeks prior to the girls' due dates, we constantly check on them for signs of labor, sometimes even in the middle of the night, because we want to be present for the births. Last year I remember driving the van to the barn at 1 in the morning (I drove because it was cold and snowy, and I was barely awake) thinking "If our neighbors see me doing this they are going to think I'm crazy." Then I remembered that most people think that about us anyway.
After the doe gives birth, we remove the kids from their mothers. There are a few reasons for doing this. First, goats can pass on a disease called CAE to their young through their milk, and so we remove the young to keep them from getting this disease. Second, you don't get much milk from a goat when their babies are constantly nursing. So, once the babies are removed from their mothers, the babies will go to our garage where the boys and I will be feeding them 3-4 times a day. Not only will we be feeding (more than likely) 6 babies 3 times a day, but we will be milking does twice a day. Then begins the process of straining and pasteurizing milk, washing what feels like 100 jars a day for milk storage, freezing milk for soapmaking, finding time for soapmaking. Then before we know it, the time will come to begin the garden planting, the farmer's market, the craft show season, along with all the other chaos that accompanies summer. Now do you understand what I mean by "storm"? Don't get me wrong, I love the life we've chosen to live, but I feel like I'm taking one of those huge breaths you take before you dive into a pool and try to swim all the way to the other end without coming up for air. Or maybe I'm the only that does that.
No matter, we're just trying to relax for the moment until all the craziness begins!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Getting Started
At the beginning of 2011, my husband Greg and I began a journey into soapmaking. We've learned a lot in the past year, and we've watched our business grow before our very eyes. We have so many plans for the future and can't wait to see where 2012 takes us. We want to share that journey with you. Life is sometimes crazy, sometimes sad, sometimes messy here at Lonely Windmill Farm, but it is never dull! Join us to see what raising a family, caring for a herd of goats, and starting a small business at the same time is like. We promise you it won't be boring.
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