All done but the cleanup

Mailed off 30+ packages at the post office today (you should have seen the look the postal clerks gave me!) and am just about done – still have four more packages to mail because I ran out of boxes (and one needs to go UPS to Alaska), but other than that it’s a matter of disposing of the leftover chocolates (couple friends coming over to help with that 🙂 ) and cleaning up the kitchen, putting the chocolate molds etc. into storage for next year, and so on.  A lot of cleanup work – I expect it will take me two days to get everything back in order.

And so goes another year’s worth of chocolates.  It’s exhausting work, especially in the last few days of nonstop labor.  Once the chocolates are made, they need to be packed and shipped IMMEDIATELY because the bonbons are perishable – only last about a week and a half.  So as soon as the ganache centers are mixed, the clock starts ticking and I work 12 and 13 hour days getting everything ready.  Next year I may get smart and get all my mailing labels, sponsorship notes, etc. done in advance, to take a bit of the burden off.

It will be interesting to see what the results are.  This year, I introduced a new tradition and sent out AIDS Lifecycle sponsorship forms with each box of chocolates, complete with a stamped envelope to the ALC mailing address for donations.  I’m hoping this will encourage people to donate more, and donate earlier than usual.  I’m hoping to hit $4000 or $5000 this year.  (That will bring my total to date to about $19,000 for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.)

And now, off to start the cleanup.  Afterwards, I think I may get back to weaving.  Or perhaps I’ll sew a few more AIDS Lifecycle outfits…all sorts of stuff I could do…hmm…

Speaking of which, Mike and I are signed up for the Jewelry B intensive class at The Crucible, the week after Thanksgiving.