Category: Life & Travels
Most of my personal and life posts are through my Facebook page (facebook.com/mariegale).
For info on our RV travels several years back, see our blog Roaming the Back Roads (www.roamingthebackroads.com).
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New Website Launched
I just completed the first phase of the website for the Coos Curry Small Woodlands Association. This website is a resource for CCSWA members and local small woodland owners. I designed and made the site as a volunteer. This was my first website using java-scripted menus. I think they turned out pretty well, if I do…
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Oregon Country Fair
Yesterday we went to the Oregon Country Fair. If you haven’t ever heard of it, it’s an amazing collection of people and events. I can only describe it as “21st century hippies meet the Renaissance Festival”. People in costumes, children, really cool buildings and art creations, nature, good food, incredible stuff to buy (all handmade…
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Traveling by United – Again
Next weekend (the 17th), I fly to Dallas to be the keynote speaker at the Texas Soapmakers Convention. I’ll be speaking about the growth and development of the handcrafted soapmaking industry and soap and cosmetic labeling requirements. I’m excited about going and looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. What I’m NOT…
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I’ve Been Roasted!
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…
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2009 HSMG Conference
I’m off to the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild 2009 Conference in Palm Springs bright and early tomorrow morning! Very excited about it – this will probably be our best conference yet.
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More Baby Ducks
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…
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Elk in the Yard
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 yards 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…
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Meet the new OSWA Chapter President
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…
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Very Diverse Day
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…
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Soapmaking Article Published!
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…
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Being DammaRee
My nieces and nephews called me “Andaree” when they couldn’t quite say “Aunt Marie”. Now grandson Coven is calling me “DammaRee.” It’s a 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 visit us…
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Raise The Bar, Use Handcrafted Soap
That’s what the license plate holder on my truck says now. I just 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…
