We Are The Champions

Sometimes, whether to be open or not is a close call. I don't mean "open" as in "for business". But as in how much to say. What to tell folk. How far to go with details.

Almost 20 years ago, the death of Freddie Mercury rocked the world. Twenty years before that, I was there for Queen's rise to fame. It wasn't my kind of music... I've never been into rock. But this group's rise was meteoric. Down the years, we've had our share of pop icons over in England... the Beatles, Bay City Rollers, Rick Astley... to name but a few. I think everyone will agree that both sides of the Atlantic, Freddie Mercury was an icon. His death on November 24th, 1991 was a shock. But what I found most shocking of all at the time, was discovering what he'd died of. He'd died of complications arising from AIDS... and he'd kept it to himself.

AIDS was a modern day leprosy. You'd catch it if you so much as looked at someone who had it. You had to be careful who you were standing next to on a bus. And whatever you did, you mustn't touch them, or you were on a death sentence. Don't go near those kind. They were dirty. That's how you caught AIDS... by being dirty. Ignorance has this way of breeding fear.

From 1988, the rumours surrounding Freddie Mercury's health were rife. He denied that he was ill in any way. He was just exhausted from performance. His fans were many. Like... too many to count. And with so many people hanging on to your every move, your every word, your every breath, you're in a position to make a difference in the world.

Fans listen to their icons. That's why product placement is so sought after. Put a glass of Pepsi in a pop idol's hands and watch the money roll in. Let a soap opera beauty be seen with a jar of face cream, and you're ready for Wall Street big time. Sit by the bed of an AIDS patient, hold his hand... and you've blown the whole lid off the myth of a terrible ignorant scourge.

Freddie Mercury's death angered me. He had been in a position to do so much for so many. He was no real Royalty with a capital "R". But he was royalty within his own industry, and he had one almighty following. He was in a position to be the rock world's Princess Diana. He could have raised so much awareness while he was living. He could have sent the AIDS coffers all Wall Street.

I've never forgotten how I felt back then about Freddie Mercury's passing. I was so angry. Without awareness, myths perpetuate. Ignorance abounds. And many people suffer unnecessarily. I'm older now, and maybe a little wiser and more understanding. Maybe Freddie Mercury felt dirty. Maybe he didn't want the press eviscerating him. Maybe he just plain felt that it was nobody's business but his own. It was his illness afterall, and for whatever reason, good or bad, he chose to keep it to himself and not share.

My husband has just had some serious surgery. He's suffered since childhood... keeping it to himself because... well, you just don't want to tell people that kind of thing. Oh, how typically nineteenth-century-England that is. Keep everyone in the dark, and let the ignorance breed. My husband has Crohn's Disease. And before you say, "Oh, yes... I've heard of that", let me tell you... you've maybe heard the term. You've probably heard nothing about the condition, and the feeling of leprosy it forces you to live with.

I can't be a Freddie Mercury. I have to be a Princess Diana. I don't have the rock star fan base that could help to make any real difference. But I can certainly do my little bit to bring this God-awful condition out into the open, and maybe bring about a different understanding the next time a guest at your dinner table leaves a full meal uneaten. Or constantly refuses your repeated invites to lunch, weddings, or funerals.

Manor Health Update

Thank you to everybody who has commented and written to me with their positive thoughts and prayers.

Just a quickie update. The surgery went very well and Jason is finally out of the hospital as of yesterday. He is still recovering and having trouble doing lots of different simple things that we all generally take for granted, like sitting down and getting up. He asked me today "if this is what being pregnant is like". Yeah. Sort of. But that lasts for nine months.

Thanks again to everybody. I will update again soon. I just wanted to let everyone know that all is well.

On the Back Burner

My little Manor Hall has been online for five years. In all that time I've only ever had to close the web site once. That was when our shopping cart crashed and the whole site had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Tonight, for the second time in five years, I've had to close the web site. Techy husband guy is having major surgery on Friday. I depend on him an awful lot. He handles most of customer service, he does the invoices, the worksheets, the labels and just about anything and everything that requires the computer. It's just not practical to keep the web site open for orders while he's out of action.

Besides all that, I don't think I could keep my head straight after being back and forth to the hospital, knowing that there are orders waiting for me that may need urgent attention. I hope everyone will understand.

Meanwhile, the buy me button on all the product pages has been disabled. Hopefully, his recovery period will go well and the web site will be ready for taking orders again in mid-February. I'm looking at perhaps Monday the 15th. I will be updating the blog regularly as time permits. Thank you.

A Soap By Any Other Name...

I love making the Honey Rose soap. The scent of this really lifts the days in my workshop as it sits curing on the shelves.

It's a warm smell, with the sweet of honey carrying the gentle rose. It's not a bouquet though, It's more special than that. A bit like the difference between being given one single stem, and a whole bunch.

Yes... that's what it is. It's single rose of love to your face. Now, who wouldn't want to recieve that!

A Little Help For Haiti

Although it's been all over our televisions, the catastrophic effects from this week's earthquake in Haiti are absolutely incomprehensible. Among all the awful devastation, access to basic needs like shelter, food, water and soap (yes, soap!) is severely limited. Soap helps inhibit the spread of disease and infection, and since I have lots and lots of soap here at the Manor, I am going to do my tiny part to help the people of Haiti through a wonderful program called Clean the World.

Clean the World Foundation, Inc. was founded in February 2009 by two individuals, Shawn Seipler and Paul Till, as a Florida not-for-profit corporation. Through the collection, recycling and distribution of soap and shampoo products discarded by hotels every day, Clean the World is dedicated to preventing millions of deaths caused by acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease.

This afternoon, I've gone through the workshop and gathered as much soap as I can, to send off to the wonderful people at Clean the World. All of the Mischief Makers are gone from the web site, and soap stocks have been raided as much as I dare. I also have many soap ends which will also go, as all of it will be melted down in giant vats before being made into individual bars at the Clean the World headquarters and sent off to Haiti. I'll work to replenish as much as I can this next ten days.

There are of course other ways to donate, including through Unicef, Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, You can also donate to Clean the World, who accept monetary donations as well as soap. If we all do a little bit, a lot can be achieved!

Image reprinted from the NJ Star Ledger.

Newsletter Sale

It's newsletter weekend and there's a big sale going on at the Manor. 20% off your order, all weekend long. Just enter the coupon code SAVEME20 at checkout to receive 20% off your order. (Note: Coupon does not apply to already discounted items, including Mischief Makers and Monthly Specials.)

Now is the ideal time to try our new Moisturizing Body Lotion and Foaming Bath and Body Wash. Or maybe one of our new Nourishing Face Creme or Aroma Roll-Ons. With a 20% discount, you can't go wrong.

And to help your shopping dollar go further during the month of January, all orders will receive $6.00 shipping. Any weight, to anywhere nationally by Priority Mail. No coupon needed, our cart will apply the $6.00 shipping for you.

Ends Monday the 18th at midnight. What a way to start the new year!

January Freebie

Every month I get to enjoy giving away a free bar of soap with every order. Never a mystery and always full size, the order box freebie for the month of January is a bar of Honey Me Smooth. Check out the freebie page to see what else can be free inside your order box this month.