It's holiday time at Bittersweet Soap & Apothecary!
Sugar Plum dreaminess & Pine Cone Shadows deliver the once a year festival of Christmas.
Halloween, well speaking honestly, the dress up holiday is all but a distant memory to me. I've mentioned before how it's not my favorite.
Christmas is my favorite!
The other day I got to talking with a customer about the four seasons. We began what was to be an intellectual discussion about Summer - Fall. Towards the end of our discussion, we both concluded that we appreciate and love each one almost equal.
Having lived in the Midwest most of my life, sweet seasonal memories attach themselves to each one.
Spring time triggers sweet May Day memories. My mom would cut spirea, lilac, and violets to create a soulful May Day Basket. She taught me many things, but one of the most significant thing she taught her daughter was to appreciate everything. For every season, turn, turn, turn.
Summer memories are attached with early morning walks to the pool. I'd spend all day there!
Falling backwards, and there's footprints forever in my mind about wearing tall boots, and crochet hats.
Winter arrives softly, usually, and I recall driving to the local lake resort with my dad and best friend to ice skate. My dad was a whiz on the ice! He would bring an ax with us, and always head out on the middle of the lake to chip out a small hole with the ax and make sure the ice was deep enough to hold us. While I'm typing this, I can hear the sound of the popping ice as we skated around the lake.
Present day, and for the past thirty years of so, I dig out my sled old sled when the first snow comes and take a couple swipes down our big hill. Kind of cool, because I still have my original sled from when I was about five or six.
As I look back, those memories help to create a sense of thankfulness and appreciation.
I love that little charcoal dress!
She's new at the Modern Apothecary Shop.
Rounding up the thousand of soap bars in preparation for what shall be a record breaking holiday season.
I've only a few hundred bars to make and the production will begin to slow until after the first of the year and winter break.
I love winter break! Probably another reason for the fondness of winter. For those of you who aren't familiar with this winter break talk. Bittersweet closes the shop for a few weeks after Christmas. It's really the only time of year I"m able to slow down and take a vacation. Not really a vacation, but a break from the steady pace that I keep throughout the rest of the year. I call it the light at the end of the tunnel. All good, and it is well with my soul.
Bittersweet has a few of these signs in the shop and at home. I ask customers if they're aware of it's meaning?
If you've never heard the story behind the phrase, here.
It has much more meaning after you know the story behind it. Don't you think?
Jill
