Countdown to Christmas

It admit that "Countdown to Christmas" is a weird title considering that we are now in the dog days of summer. July has just started so what's with rushing the season? I'm not rushing the season I'm taking advantage of the dog-day slowdown to think about what I want to have on my table for the Christmas season. What worked well last year? Is there a new product I can introduce? What would give me a better advantage for selling this Christmas season than last Christmas season? For me this is time for reflection and for planning.

Now is also the time for me to make the majority of my product for the upcoming fall shows. It may seem weird to make icicles and tree drops when it's BBQ season outside, but that's when the Christmas line is in production. Also this gives me time to get my Etsy shop (SherriD Lampwork Glass http://www.etsy.com/shop/sherridlampworkglass) and Facebook fan page up, stocked and running so that I have a good database come Christmas shopping season. I've already had "warnings" of an order.

During this reflective time I am also looking at my Kung Fu training with the "same eyes" of what works, what doesn't, what do I need to ramp up and which goals shall I keep (and delete) for next year. I must say that I am very much liking our team's challenges as they help keep me in the present.

As for the raw foods and healthy eating the fresh fruits and berries have started appearing in the stores and I am stocking up big time so that I can enjoy the freshness in the winter months as well. I am also taking advantage of when bananas are on sale and freezing those as well. Thanks to Sihing Lowery, I have discovered a wonderful new way of having soft serve "ice cream" (non-dairy of course) with the ingredients being so simple. Take a frozen banana, chop it, put in food processor until it looks like soft serve. Voila!! Pineapple and strawberries (insert imagination here) can also be added. But wait!! Here is the chocolate version: 1 frozen chopped banana, 1 tablespoon raw cocoa, 1 tablespoon almond butter (I used peanut butter), put in food processor and process until it looks like soft serve. Yummy!!

For me the dog-days of summer are a chance to not only wind down, but also to plan, prepare, and play. Do what I love to do with the playfulness of summer. Works for me!

Sherri Donohue
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta