Can you believe hubby and I are still sick? Me either. Hubby's had a "put you to sleep" kind of medical test, and we are waiting on those results. Me? Sinus infection that hasn't cleared up (even to the point where I can sleep at night) after 7+ days of sulfa! I'm ready to feel better now.
Every year I get it in my head that homemade gifts are nice, and I find a project to do for the "outer" relatives. You know, the grandparents and inlaws and aunts. This year I'm doing two projects: hand lotion and family videos.
The family videos have been on VHS since 1990 when we got our first video camera. It's time they joined us in the digital age, so I've been transferring them to DVD. But not a straight-across transfer, oh no. I am editing and adding titles, a project I should have started in May to get done by Christmas! I was doing okay getting them all done, then the second master disc (of 5) died suddenly from child abuse (abuse by the children, not of them) and had to be recreated. 5 discs, 2 hours each, edited and titled. We are talking no small feat here, considering I didn't start until after Thanksgiving and have had all kinds of other issues going on, eh?
The hand lotion is something that's been in my head and kitchen in test batches for nearly 5 years. While studying herbal medicine, I found some herbs and oils particularly suited to the skin care needs of older hands. Combining those herbs with others for this aunt's thin, easily torn skin, and that grandma's perpetually cold hands, and the other grandma's arthritis, finding the right formulation to lighten age spots, and then perfect the lotion to where it's light and non-greasy has been a real challenge, but a lot of fun. I finally got the formula exactly right and made the "gift" batch last week. OH NO! One of my ingredients was purchased from a different source than usual and was much stronger! The lotion still works, but it turns skin brownish purple! AARGH! I didn't throw away the whole batch because I don't care if my feet are brownish purple, and it's a temporary effect anyway. But, I have to start over from scratch, AFTER the mail order of one irreplaceable ingredient arrives. If it arrives in time.
I'm beginning to rethink the homemade gift thing.
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