Crafty Days

I've been making things and wanting to make more.  Yesterday I whipped up a double batch of my favorite aloe & cocoa butter lotion--that didn't set right.  Grr.  Of course it was already in the jars (I put the hot liquid into the jars right away because it's so easy to do it when it's liquid-y) so after supper I spatula-ed it back into two Pyrex measuring cups and reheated it, re-stick-blendered it, and poured it into a couple 16 oz. pump bottles to use after my shower to keep my skin from being Death Valley dry, and made more.  See, I thought I'd be all smart and haul out my expensive electronic scale and measure each ingredient carefully, which would have been fine if I'd make 2 single batches, but the measuring cup was way too full for it to get near boiling in the microwave, I even poured it all into a big Pyrex bowl but evidently didn't reheat it enough.  No biggie.  I just remade it using my original "spoon" measurements and made 2 separate batches.  Worked like a charm.  I don't usually fragrance that lotion but this time I put in a dab of grapefruit, it smells so fresh.

Then I whipped up a couple batches of lip balm--honey and clove, two of my favorite flavors.  I was tempted to make more, a lot more, flavors--lime and lemon and plum and mango and maybe cinnamon--but I don't have that many tubes... although I could make half-batches... no, because I'll already spend the whole afternoon labeling the 52 tubes I have.  Tonight's knitting night so I'll make a little goodie bag for each knitter with lotion and lip balm.  All of us forgot last week.  (Maybe a rash of brain farts among middle-aged women.)

No grandbaby yet.

Later today or tomorrow I have GOT to go out and rake down the snow eyebrows across the front of the house.  It's supposed to be in the balmy high-20s or low-30s for the next couple days before the deep freeze arrives with Monday (because I have to go back to work, I am sure) when it's supposed to hit a high of 5 degrees (if we're lucky, that's the high estimate).  Good thing I got more warm wool socks from Durwood for Christmas and my case of toe warmers came last week.  I already have a whack of longies and turtlenecks and sweaters and wool shawls and scarves to keep warm at work.  I'm thinking of cruising the neighborhoods to see if anyone's tossed out a Christmas tree yet.  I need a couple for the birdies to stay warm in the rest of the winter and I'm too cheap to buy them, I'd rather junk-pick them.  I'll need some dollar store peanut butter so the seed sticks to the branches too, and I should go buy some more seed while I'm out and about (now that the returners have cleared out).  The sparrows are still bathing with enthusiasm and much splashing even in the cold temps.  They're not sane.

December 27--Egypt, Statuette of Anubis.  Dierdre opened her eyes and stared into the unblinking ones of the jackal-headed god.  The wooden grave statue hand its hand up as if to say it meant no harm but she wasn't reassured.  A section of the corridor had fallen and trapped her in this antechamber.  She was certain that someone was working to dig her out, unless the collapse had been bigger than she imagined and she was the only one left alive.  No, she had to keep hold of herself.  Of course they were working to free her.  Dr. Hawas would be pacing back and forth at the shaft entrance as if he could move the rubble by force of mind.  It occurred to her that it should have been pitch dark in the chamber but the room was filled with a faint light.  She turned slowly around examining every wall for a crack or hole that light could penetrate.

Time for lunch and then labeling.  Hasta la vista, babies.
 --Barbara