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January 2004
I think we have all experienced in differing proportions,
that thing which makes Soapnuts so much more than your run of the mill list.
What that thing is, is community. Soapnuts is place to ask questions...about soapmaking,
about your brother's cracked hands, about books to read.. Soapnuts is a place to
share experiences..again, about soapmaking, or selling your wares, or that funny
thing that happened to you when you were coming home from work the other day. Soapnuts
is a place where you can give and receive support, encouragement, sympathy and
happiness. There are over 1400 people on the list, maybe fifteen to
twenty regular posters and many more who pop in from time to time as they are
able. There are a lot of lurkers as
well, who appreciate the high level of expertise offered on the list, and who
most likely end up chuckling along with some of the silly threads that come up,
despite themselves. Or maybe not;
maybe they think we all ARE a bunch of nuts, but they stay subscribed
anyway...SMILE!! How this community came to be that, is hard to say. The list moms, Becky and Camille, are so willing to share with everyone, to take the time to answer and assist and lend support however they are able..that is a huge part of it. The moderators also dedicate a lot of time to making sure that questions are answered, concerns addressed, and proper form followed. This in addition to keeping us all smiling, laughing, and cutting and pasting their tips and ideas like crazy! The regular posters, like Kathy, Marian, Finola, Ellen, and so many others are friends that we enjoy seeing again and again, familiar faces who we feel we know even though we have never really met. Duane and Bob are the men that we see the most, and each of them has a, well, unique personality (SMILE) that comes across so well in their posts. We have the library, built and maintained by Becky, with a little help from her friends, that is a resource for soapmakers and those who are interested in soapmaking above and beyond the list. We have swaps, like the State Soap Swap and Flights of Fancy, that challenge us all to do our best, to step beyond ourselves, to push our limits and wow ourselves and everyone else...to think outside the box and let our creativity flow. We have the Share A Smile program, to reach out to those people who are moved enough by something in their lives to reach out to the people on the list and share their joy, their pain, their sorrow, their success...a little bit of themselves with us. So, we dedicate this first issue of “In a Nutshell” to
all of you who make this list what it is, and hope that it supports the
community that we know as Soapnuts. We
have tried to include information, tips, and ideas to enhance your soapmaking.
There is an article about Denise in PA, one of our moderators, that is
sure to make you smile as you picture sitting down with her across a cup of tea
and talking. You will get to know
Sue K a little better as well, as she is our supplier spotlight this issue.
We hope that you read this issue through again and again, benefiting
every time you do. Please be sure to contact Jessica (rjranch@mindspring.com)
or Khadijah (ummnusaybah@yahoo.com) with your constructive comments and ideas,
or with articles you would like to contribute.
We want to make this a newsletter by and for all of us, and we need all
of you to do that!! Now, put some eo on your diffuser, slip off your shoes, put your feet up, grab a cup of tea (or a Pepsi) and enjoy! ~ Khadijah Lacina
Soapnuts is published monthly. website problems? mailto:snnewsletter@excite.com Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. This page was last updated on 11/03/07.
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