The house was bustling during the week of Thanksgiving, and the college kids had their first in-person view of the house and the area. They brought friends, and my youngest also introduced us to our very first grand-furbaby, 9 month old Olive. She's a perky little thing, part Pitbull and everyone has their own guesses on what she's mixed with. My guess is Jack Russell because this dog can jump, even without a running start. When Olive pranced into the house, Moose became more active than we have seen him in a long time, chasing her around the yard, playing hard. After the first day, he began losing his stamina, and he would stand in the yard watching as she ran laps around him. He's still sleeping it off a week later.
Saying good-bye to the faces I missed so much over the last few months was hard, but knowing they'll be back in a few short weeks helps. They loaded up the car at 3am the night before leaving. I'm not sure they were ready to head back to the cold weather in Pittsburgh just yet, especially as the forecast was calling for snow.
In the meantime, Jay and I are decking the halls with Christmas cheer. We lost many of our old Christmas decorations, but the ones that truly count - the countless handmade gifts from the kids during their elementary school years - are still with us. We've opted for a real tree this year, although I'm nervous about keeping Moose (and Olive when she returns) from drinking all of the water underneath it. I have visions of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation dancing in my head.
I have two craft shows coming up - Punta Gorda on December 12th and Englewood on the 18th and 19th, and then the boys will be back. I've been ramping up production of candles and wax melts for the next two shows. I also brought back an old favorite after a customer requested it. Breakfast in Bed, formerly Sunday Brunch, is a maple syrup pancakes, bacon, and cinnamon toast wonderful scent. I've had several requests for a coffee scented candle as well, so Espresso has joined the line. There's still time to ship your favorite candles as gifts! USPS suggests a cutoff of December 17th to make it in time for Christmas, but I'd go with a few days earlier to be sure. I am also working on making my own vessels out of cement, and the testers are absolutely gorgeous! My goal is to roll these out in early 2022.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Yultide Greetings - whatever you may celebrate, I wish a healthy and happy holiday.
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