Well, life has been interesting since I last posted.  I've recovered from my surgery, retired from 30+ years in the IT world, had a new floor put in our kitchen because of a leak in the dishwasher, had a new roof installed due to hail damage, and had to say goodbye to our two cats.  Nomad went first because of pancreatic cancer and Tom Thumb last Saturday because he was suffering  from liver cancer.

I sold all of my soap equipment and supplies to a fellow soap maker and am in the process of looking at condos so we can downsize.  I will be making stained glass windows and suncatchers as a hobby as soon as we get established somewhere.  Life continues.

Been a while

I've been away for awhile since my surgery and haven't been doing much with my soap except providing some for family and friends.  I may be moving soon and am concentrating on that for now and will return to soap making as soon as I can.  My surgery went great and my rehab got me back on my feet in no time.

Surgery

My surgery went great and the surgeon decided to repair my mitral valve instead of replacing it.  This is great because replacement valves usually have to be replaced after 10-15 years, but the repaired valve should go the distance and I won't have to go through this again.  Started cardiac rehab today and will be going 3 days a week for a few weeks.  Still won't be able to soap since I'm not allowed to lift more than 10 pounds for a few weeks.  The first picture is the day after my surgery and the next one is 3 days later.

Time out

I will be taking time away from making soap to have a little surgery.  On September 1st I will have the mitral valve in my heart replaced at Vanderbilt Hospital.  It's pretty much a routine procedure these days and I will have more energy after I heal and can get back to making soap.

New Soap

I made a new soap last weekend.  It's scented with peppermint essential oil and a little rose mint fragrance oil.  I used olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter and added a little heavy cream and colloidal oatmeal for a skin-loving bathing experience.   I also dipped my toes into the world of youtube and documented the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Fnkw6fsCY

My web site

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm having a sale on my web site.  http://www.nomadhandcraftedsoap.com.  Thanks for stopping by.

Dog days of summer

I've been traveling a lot the past few weeks and haven't had much time to myself.  We did find time to go to Mere Bulles restaurant in Brentwood, TN this morning for a wonderful brunch.  we were celebrating (late) my wife's 66th birthday, Mother's Day (late) and Father's Day (early) with our lovely daughter Anna.