Painting is the Greatest

It’s been such a fun last few weeks. The kids and I have been enjoying everything that Whatcom County in the spring has to offer. We went ice skating, and I was relived that it felt a lot like riding a bicycle in that the movement from when I last went ice skating (waving at my 12 year old self) did come back pretty quickly and I broke no bones. We also did a spring painting class with the kids; they were both so proud of their creations.

Another big milestone this month is that I won Businessperson of the Year for Whatcom County. It felt very much like a celebration of our team and the work that we’ve accomplished together, and it was so lovely to have Bramble Berry’s President, Norman, present when I won. I was able to acknowledge all of his work and effort to help get Bramble Berry where it is today as well as shout out the team. It was a really special moment, made even more special by all the friends that attended to cheer me on.  I started Bramble Berry from my kitchen counter 20 years ago, so to have come to the place where we are being recognized as a company for creating jobs in our community feels both surreal and astounding at the same time.

The Milk soapmaking book that I’ve been working on since last July (!) is working its way through the publishing system. Right now, we’re prepping for the photo shoot. There is so much pre-work that goes into the photo shoot. All of the recipes need to be fully portioned out ahead of time so when the time to photograph comes, all we need to do is heat up oils and mix the lye with the frozen milk. This means that we’ll be able to do all the photography in (hopefully) 6 days.

Life shows no signs of slowing down until maybe September and even then, I know that the roller coaster will just be more richly scheduled by then. I remain thankful for all of the opportunities to stay connected with community, learn and grow in every aspect of my personal and work life … even if it means life is sometimes uncomfortably full.