I just got back from the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference in Palm Springs, CA.  It was an awesome 3-day experience!  Being the current President of the Soap Guild, I had responsibilities while there and was involved in the preparations (although Leigh O’Donnell, the Conference Chairman, was truly the mastermind behind it all).  I loved having the opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones.  We soapmakers certainly are an interesting and passionate lot!

After several days of preps and getting set up, the conference kicked off (after my introduction and orientation) with a presentation by Erin Brockovich, who was awesome.  She spoke about stick-to-it-tive-ness, the need to carry on even when you think you can’t and shared stories of her personal trials and triumphs.  Her presence at the conference was sponsored by Dennis and Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale, who deserve extreme kudos for their support of the HSMG.Following Erin during the conference were many speakers on a variety of subjects pertaining to soapmaking and running a soapmaking business.  I didn’t get to see them all (duty calling, you know), but I did particularly enjoy Donna Maria Coles Johnson’s presentation on “The Media Is You!” Talk about social media!  By the time she was done there were people tweeting and posting on facebook everywhere!

Also on my top fav list was the scientific presentation by Kevin Dunn, PhD.  Every year Kevin, the author of Caveman Chemistry and the soon-to-be-released Scientific Soapmaking, presents scientific research done by his college students into some aspect of soapmaking.  This year it was the effect of temperature in the soapmaking process.  Finally answered was the age-old question, “to gel or not to gel”.  (And, as usual, the answer was “it depends on what you are trying to accomplish”.)  But now I know how to determine if I SHOULD take my soaps to gel phase, and, more importantly, WHY.

My two major jobs at the conference were presiding over the Annual Membership Meeting and the  Awards Dinner.  The Annual Meeting went very well.  Elections were completed (my term limit as President is up and Leigh O’Donnell was elected as the next President), committee reports were read, several bylaw changes were approved and I, along with Jackie Thompson and LaShonda Tyree, was appointed to the 2010 Nominating Committee.

The Awards Dinner was pretty straight-forward, with many awards given.  People at the conference who have been members for more than 5 years were each given Longevity Awards (I got one for 10 years membership, and Rob Brown of The Lebermuth Company got one for 11 years continuous membership!), Soaper’s Showcase winners were announced and awarded certificates with the Best in Show winner getting a beautiful tear-drop plaque, Certified Soapmakers got their certificates … and I got roasted!

It was really quite an experience!  Kevin, Kayla, Dennis, Rob, and others brought in a “throne”, with Kevin leading the way with a wooden spoon “septer”.  I was crowned with a plastic hair-cover “crown” and had to listen to Leigh and several others point out some of my shortcomings.  Leigh had the audacity to name me the “typo queen” and show onscreen some of the better examples of why the title fits.  (Yes, I really did put “2007″ on the 2008 sponsorship brochure!)  Sainthood for my accomplishments in the HSMG was suggested, but our own Sister Cathleen Timberlake reviewed the requirements and it was determined that I don’t quite fit the bill (mostly because I’m not dead yet) and instead I was given a beautiful angel.After that, however, a lot of people I really, really respect and admire came up to recognize me and my work with the HSMG. I was also awarded (with some pomp and ceremony) Honorary Life Membership in the HSMG. It was a wonderful acknowledgement - I don’t think I’ve ever felt so loved, respected and admired.  I did manage to keep from crying the whole time, but only just barely. It has been my honor to work with the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and all the dedicated, caring, passionate people who make up this marvelous industry of handcrafted soapmakers.

Yesterday I got a call from the owner of our local Feed Store (capitalized because that’s actually the name of the store).  Since it was 7:00pm on a Sunday evening, I knew something was up.  Turns out that a woman in town, Carolyn, had become the unplanned foster parent of 11 mallard ducklings.

The back-story is that there was a momma and her babies trying to cross the road.  The momma got scared by the cars and flew away, leaving the ducklings scattering.  If you’ve never seen baby ducklings before, they are extremely small and very uncoordinated.  A passing man picked them up (to save them from being run over) and - instead of leaving them safely by the road for momma to return to, he packed them in a box and took them to Carolyn.

Carolyn had just raised some chicks, so she had facilities to care for the ducklings overnight, but she lives in town (and is in her 70’s) and didn’t want the duck.

Long and short of it is that now we have 11 ducklings safely in our baby-duck-and-chick raising pen.  As of this evening they were all healthy, warm and somewhat confused.

We’re hoping that some of them will be females.  Turns out that of the 18 or so other ducks we still have living on the pond, only 3 are females.  I think the drakes out there would appreciate evening up the score a little!

Tonight after dinner I looked out the window and saw an elk in the yard. The picture isn’t very good since it was dusk and he was about 75 yard s away, but it is proof that he was there!

We have several small elk herds that wander through the ranch, but they generally stay near the tree lines and away from people and roads.  They come out into open areas to graze.

When the young males get to the point where they are a challenge to the senior male, they are kicked out of the herd to go start their own group.  That’s probably the story for this fellow - he looked a little alone and lost.

While we were out on the deck he noticed us, but didn’t seem alarmed in any way.  In fact, he wasn’t even bothered by the dogs who ran out and barked at him.   Of course, they kept their distance … he’s BIG.  Doesn’t look like it in the picture, but he was as big as our horses and must have weighed over 1,000 pounds!

I hope he comes back.  Maybe he will establish his herd close enough so we will see him and his new family again.

I love living here!

I’ve started a new blog - Soap Bits .. Bits of trivia and information, all about soap!  Check it out at  www.soap-bits.com.

I recently received an email from Melinda Coss, a soapmaker and author from France.  She’s involved with a program called Township Trades in South Africa, teaching teens business skills through soapmaking.  Take a look at the video - it’s awesome!

Marie Gale

OSWA - Oregon Small Woodland Association, Coos-Curry County Chapter, has a new President.  As of the Annual Meeting (sometime in March) I will be taking the reins for the local chapter.  I’ve been on the Board (and not really doing much) for a year now.  Last week I decided that if I’m going to do it, I might as well DO it.  It’s not as if I don’t know how to be the President of a small non-profit group!

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Today has been such a diverse day.  Normally people tend to stick to one or two somewhat related things during the course of business.  Today I’ve been all over the map.

First thing this morning I worked on preparing a time line and pack of documentation to deliver to an attorney in time for him to read it before a 9:00 am meeting tomorrow.

In the middle of that I had to stop and check on the fence repairs around the barn.

While doing that, I found out there was a herd of about 30 elk down the hill, so everything stopped while we jumped in the truck with binoculars and camera to go check it out.

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I just had a great article published in Aromascents E-Magazine! If was fun to write - to review all of the things I know about the wonders of soapmaking and condense it down into just two pages.  Once again I was struck by the wonder of what happens in the soap pot and how the magic always happens to make soap.

They’ve given me permission to post it, so you can read the full article, The Art And Science of Soapmaking.

My nieces and nephews called me “Andaree” when they couldn’t quite say “Aunt Marie”.  Now grandson Coven is calling me “DammaRee.”  It’s moniker I never expected to have, but the joy when I hear it is so far beyond anything else!  The experience of being a Grandmother is just great - I love it!

Coven came to between Christmas and New Years.  His first “by myself” trip.  Jere went to Portland and picked up Coven along with his daughters who flew in from Florida and I flew him up to Portland (thank goodness for Frequent Flyer Miles!) on New Years Day.

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That’s what the license plate holder on my truck says now.  I kust put the new Handcrafted Soap Guild license plate holder on my truck.  Required a little cleaning up of things to get the mud off, but I think it looks pretty nice!

It’ll be cool to drive around and have it be known that I’m a member of the HSMG and a soapmaker. Maybe it will get people thinking when we’re towing a horse trailer or carrying a load of hay.