I have been working on a series of “Romance Soaps”. These soaps come with a tag that contains a very short, romantic “tale”. I recently watched a YouTube video by Katie Carson of Royalty Soaps in which she demonstrated a “mermaid” design. If you haven’t watched Katie or visited any of her numerous social media sites, […]
My Favorite Chicken Chili Recipe
This recipe (or something similar) has appeared on just about all my favorite food sites. I actually begged the recipe off the person who brought this dish to a church social. I changed it up a bit to fit my tastes. This is quick and easy, great for potlucks and excellent to come home to […]
Soap Printable
This is just a little printable I created and wanted to share. I am a list maker and created this when I wanted to brainstorm scents for a show or a season. I thought some of you fellow “listers” might find it useful. The link is on the full blog post. It is saved in a […]
My Encounter With Billy Graham
A lot of people were probably scrambling around on the internet yesterday and today to find out who this “Billy Graham” guy was and why he was getting so much air time. At 99, Reverend Graham had been out of public view for some time, hopefully receiving the loving and tender care and attention by […]
Happy Valentine’s Day
I know this isn’t always a happy day for some people. Hearts are tender critters and there are so many ways they can be wounded and bruised. I am very blessed that I met my husband when I was in my early 20’s. I was “damaged goods” when we met and he was a product […]
My Own Financial Planning
First, let me say that I am NOT a financial adviser. In fact, far from it, this is one of the most difficult areas for me to navigate. I’m not dumb, don’t have issues with math, and I understand the basic principles involved. But the plain truth is I abhor, to the core of my […]
Retirement – Even a Good Thing Can Be Stressful
In my last post, I mentioned how surprised I was by my feelings around retirement. Right up to the day I walked out the door – and into my first week, I’ve been shocked at the level of anxiety and tears that seem to spring from nowhere when least expected. This was something I NEVER […]
Retirement – It’s a good thing. Right?
18 years ago I retired from the University of Oklahoma after 30 years of service. At the time, I was wrapping up a three-year role as the Assistant to the Editor of The Journal of Marketing. It was an awesome job, working with Dr. Robert Lusch. He was the perfect boss and, frankly, every leader […]
March Already???
Wow, wow, wow – 2017 is rip-roaring along! I have been getting a bit of soap ready, but now it is time to POUR IT ON and get some product ready! I have two shows coming up in April. I love cold process best of all, but I’m going to have to focus on hot […]
Life Gets Complicated
In August, my husband was diagnosed with a kidney tumor. Since many of these turn out to be cancerous, we had to prepare for the worst while praying to God and trusting Him for all that would follow. After undergoing a difficult surgery, the tumor turned out to be benign. There were complications in the […]