Or, is it you cannot put a round peg in a square hole?
Whichever way it goes, it doesn’t.
But aren’t you glad we can be a community of differences?
A true leader in life is one that can truly be her (or him) self. Why not?
A true leader also accepts and embraces diversity.
A true leader does what is right, even if it means the square peg doesn’t fit into the round hole. Why follow the crowd, why pretend the peg fits?
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Smell and Feel the Goodness
Posted in General Reflections | Tagged community, diversity, square peg round hole | 9 Comments »
9/11 remains fresh in my mind on a personal level. As that mid-morning began to unravel I remember contacting my loved ones – my sons (through email and phone calls), then my sister, my father, and my friends. Everyone in my immediate world was safe and sound.
I watched smoke billowing from the Twin Towers on MSNBC, at that time on a very slow connection on my desk PC at work. I could still see disaster progressing. Nothing short of horror.
As I walked to my boss’s office, an employee asked if I was okay. My words, “Yes, but our world will never be the same again.” As the doors to that office closed, 5 of us prayed. It was a sad day. I left and headed out to what was eerily empty interstates and roads – wanting to get my feet back on home ground, stay in touch with my family.
I completed a Google search a few days ago on 9/11 to refresh my own knowledge, beyond memory. Reading was painful. My throat tightened, my heart hurt. There is still a lot of doubt in the minds of American people as a whole. I have empathy. There are a lot of un-answered questions. Our lives did change 10 years ago.
God bless America. God bless those that lost their lives, and those that were injured. God bless their families and friends.
Thank you to those that worked tirelessly through the minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months that followed 9/11.
We will never forget.
Posted in General Reflections | Tagged 9/11, September 11 | 3 Comments »
I really am grateful for inspirations.
I find they come in spurts…almost daily, and at times not for a week.
Recently inspiration has come to me through music, specifically bluegrass music, especially instrumentals.
I listen to each and every instrument, almost as if I divide the music up into sections, paying special attention to the clear and beautiful notes of the mandolin.
I feel happiness, renewal, peace and even a sense of Annie’s Goat Hill, where it belongs…what it is about.
I am a transplanted city girl, living on a farm, milking goats, making the fragrant soap that I always adored. When I make soap I always think about who is going to use the soap. I hope that they find happiness, even if just a moment, from a simple product as a bar of soap. Pleasant thoughts flow as the young batch of soap in the pot begins to trace and as the beautiful music fills my heart.
Life is good.
More inspirations on the way next Friday. And by then, hopefully, I will be able to add video to the blog!
A link to a beautiful lively blend of violin, mandolin, and banjo. Bluegrass instrumental. Almost sounds Irish to me. Beautiful, clear, crisp.
I could sit on the porch and listen forever.
Have you had any inspirations today? This week?
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Smell and Feel the Goodness
Posted in In The Soap Shop, Inspirations | Tagged business inspirations, inspirations in life, soap making | 6 Comments »
Milk soaps are so rich!
As I looked at the newly cured simple Buttermilk soap in the studio, I thought about how I used to trek to a town an hour away to replenish my personal stock of natural soaps, purchased from a herb shop. The bars were generally un-evenly cut, laying unwrapped on a very old and primitive butcher block table. The deal was to pick up 5 bars, place them in a brown paper lunch sack, receive the 6th bar free.
I was in love. And I knew I was taking something wonderful home with that rustic purchase.
If I had seen Buttermilk soap on that table I would have bought a bar. No doubt!
Why Buttermilk soap? It is mild, pure, and great for the skin. With a thick type of lather, similar to a shaving soap. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this (colorant and fragrance free) soap on sensitive skin, or for a child.
Buttermilk soap (made from scratch from goat milk buttermilk, started with a buttermilk culture of cow milk), available now in our online soap store!
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Smell and feel the goodness!
Posted in Products | Tagged buttermilk soap, Goat Milk Soap, handcrafted soap, natural soap | 7 Comments »
Goats cannot fend for themselves when they are tethered (collared and tied) to a fence post or tree.
Goats are prey to wild animals, such as coyotes.
If you must tether a goat, only do so when a livestock guard animal is present, and only tether for short periods of time, making sure the goat is supervised.
Always provide shelter and fresh water. Goats easily “go down” with pneumonia and other diseases when they are exposed to wet and cold conditions with no means to get out of the weather. Stress is very difficult on goats.
Goats are wonderful weed-eaters, they truly clean up grassy and weed infested areas with gusto…but please, please, please, protect their lives. Their only defense to prey is to head butt and run.
Please pass the word along – tether responsibly (or not at all).
Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged goat care, housing a goat, pet goat care, protecting goat from prey, tethering a goat | 7 Comments »
Did I hear someone say bargain? Yes!
The “discount section” in our soap store had been empty for a few months.
We got busy this week gathering the 2nds, the oddballs, the oopsies, the not-so-pretty…and now…the special beauties have been presented the honor of the bargain stand.
With fall and winter soaps on the way, more bargains will arrive…enjoy!
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Smell and Feel The Goodness!
Posted in AGH Business News, Products | Tagged discounted handcrafted soap, goat milk soap sale, handcrafted soap | 3 Comments »
As I look at the stack of soap-making books that I am determined to scramble my way through, random thoughts form.
Our nose guides us through a lot of things in life – emotions, trouble, pleasure, and even memories.
Speaking of pleasure and the nose, can you imagine walking into a library without being able to smell the mustiness of old books and paper? Imagine walking through the libarary doors only to be enveloped with the smell of electronic books and devices.
Imagine no more books. What a sad day that would be.
Perhaps that thought seems worthless…not to me.
The internet is a spectactular thing, even now, even after multiple decades of its existance. But it does not replace a good old-fashioned book.
You can read a book, research a project, relax, study, without any interruptions, without recharging a battery. You can drop the book when you fall asleep. You can pick it back up later without marking your spot electronically. And within that particular book, there (usually) is no conflicting information.
Like a good bar of old fashioned soap…books needs to stay, good old-fashioned books.
Ramble thoughts are written now.
What do you think, are books going to evaporate? Will museum rooms be created just for future generations to marvel at books?
Posted in General Reflections | Tagged books replaced by Kindles, save the books | 4 Comments »
The curtain opens to Act 1:
Customer checking out @Annie’s Goat Hill…typing in credit card number…shipping address…customer name…phone numb….er…ack! Wait a minute!Customer freaks out! “I am not going to give that company my phone number!”
Why would we want your phone number?
If we experience problems with your order, we attempt to contact you via the email address provided upon checkout. But, as life isn’t always so perfect, there have been occasions where 1) a customer’s email address was invalid, 2) the customer never received the email from Annie’s Goat Hill.
Act 2:
Customer becomes very upset as day after day passes with no fragrant package arriving at their doorstep.
For this reason, a customer phone number will be mandatory upon checkout at Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrated Soaps.
We would be breaking the law if we subjected you to unsolicted email, or phone calls. We are not going to do that. We want to keep life as simple as possible.
We want you to:
Smell the goodness, feel the goodness (of our products).
Period.
Posted in AGH Business News | Tagged customer service, Goat Milk Soap | 6 Comments »
Each season the decision is made when to stop milking the goats. My business depends upon fresh goat milk, a very obvious fact.
I could purchase milk at the grocery, or in cans, or in the powdered form. But our products contain our milk, produced from our goats, milked by me. That is who we are! I know what goes into the goat’s mouth, therefore, I know what does not end up in the milk. Nothing else will do.
So, to give the “girls” (does) that are “in milk” (currently being milked) a break before they “freshen” (give birth), I make the seasonal decision to remove them from the milk stand. The decision involves looking at the calendar and the freezer contents for a count, and sometimes even a second look. I will admit, there are moments that some would consider nail-biting. Cutting the cord to fresh milk, take a deep breath!
Happily, both freezers are spilling over with frozen goat milk. We can take a rest now girls. I love you.
Posted in All In A Day's Time, Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged dairy farm, goat milk farm, Goat Milk Soap | 8 Comments »
Recently, as I was enjoying a ride, I thought about how some of the basic instructions we received in motorcycle safety class last summer does reflect life itself.
One such instruction was “look into the curve.”
In life, especially when faced with challenges, if we look into the curve, look where we plan to exit the curve, we steer ourselves in the right direction. We come out of the curve, the difficult maneuver, exactly where we set our eyes to bring us out.
While working through the twist in the road when we do not look left, right, or down. We hold our posture, looking ahead, at the end result. We focus.
It really does work.
Have you faced any challenges lately where looking into the curve might help?
I have. One is HR 2359, a bill that could be devastating to you (as a consumer and friend), me – a small business owner, and the country in general, as we might lose more of our freedom. Where do I stand? I am against the bill, but I am looking into the curve, with my eyes focused on the end result. I may need to adjust. I may need to make changes. But I am focused. And I will survive, stronger than ever. I hope you find that type of resolve to your conflicts as well!
Posted in AGH Business News, General Reflections, Inspirations | Tagged challenges in life, HR2359, safe cosmetics | 5 Comments »
| What is Goat Polio?… on Thiamine Deficiency – Ca… | |
| Goat Illnesses and S… on Thiamine Deficiency – Ca… | |
 | Mary Humphrey on Selenium Deficiency In Go… |
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 