I've had the olive oil and dandelions infusing at a soft boil for the past two hours. The dandelion tea is done. I was incredibly excited to make a batch of soap. I cleaned up the kitchen and got it ready for some serious soaping. And as it's nice and not raining, I am planning on a batch or two of bath bombs.
But now I am simply feeling a bit bummed out. I didn't catch it until it heated that the olive oil had gone rancid. It smells awful! I don't want my beautiful soap to smell like that. I did the research, everything says I can still use it, just need to super saponify or I can wash it in brine to remove the scent. Super saponification is going to lead to a very drying soap, kind of defeats the purpose of using the dandelions don't you think? And I'm afraid the brine will also remove all the benefit of the dandelions. So now I'm at square one again. Guess I am going to pick another cup of dandelions. The bee's are going to revolt... Thank goodness they grow so fast.
Maybe I will resort to something less detailed, as I truly just want to make some soaps and try out all of my new molds. I was hoping to make a batch or so of hot process also, so I don't have to deal with the patience part of things.
And I also need to go and buy a lawnmower. Ours is a total piece of... well you get it. And we hired a lawn care crew. Which I am firing today. I don't mind spending the money to have my yard mowed, but when they are as inconsistent of these guys and my front lawn is deeper than my short guys chest? They are doing a lousy job and they are not inexpensive. I've had kids to a better job than this company is.
I have to admit though that even with the rampant frustrations today is bringing. Bitter oil, deep lawn, Hubs busy working for hours... It sure did start off excellent! I had a message from my boy, something that is rare, he's busy living his life far away, so to wake up to that gift was priceless. And my sweet (?) girl gifted me with an awesome yarn bowl to make me smile! I got to talk to my own mom and I feel blessed to be able to do so.
Despite the challenges, I am feeling very grateful for my new found devotion to getting deeper involved in living my own life and remembering that other things are not the core, they are the outer rings. They are not my own personal why. They are not the items that define who I am as a human.
I am a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a gramma, a friend to many, and possibly a nemesis to some. But over all... I am a human being on a journey that only I can define. I'm enjoying discovering that! For too long, I've allowed the non-important to define the important. Who I am and my contribution to my own life and happiness cannot be graded or judged by anyone except for me. And when you start living to achieve other's goals and desires of you, you stop being able to reach for your own happiness and inner peace.
None of us get out of this life alive. And I am starting to fully understand that the little check marks that others are making do not define who we are or where we ultimately end up. This is just a season in time. And the best thing any of us can do, is love the people that are important to us. Spend quality time doing things together. None of us need a ton of gifts and clutter in our homes, we need time, experiences, and most importantly love.
Celebrate this mother's day. If your mom is still here, let her know you love her, if not celebrate the gifts she gave you while she was. Let your loved ones know their value. Because all too soon, you can only send those and thoughts to silence. Love and cherish while you can!
Time to go and celebrate my day... Best wishes to all of you!
No comments:
Post a Comment