Greetings of health!

This is an "update on Uny & Rocky, Forum & Apothecary" post, which is most importantly to let everyone know that I have not forgotten anyone...and assure everyone that I realize how important it is that receive timely information and post responses.  It'll also 'clue you in' on what's happening "behind the scenes".  Be sure not to miss the section below in violet-blue and the section after the --->>>

In the last few days/weeks the huge volume of posts/questions (combined with my backlog) has combined to create a major-snafu-backlog that requires me to take a few days away from posting just to be able to read, organize and prioritize adequately. (I will be making a few posts in the next few days).

Snafu, you say? Oh yes indeedy. Here's a nutshell version:

I get a notification in my Inbox every time a post is made (plus PMs), and I typically read each post within 30-60 minutes of it being posted. Currently I have over 7 pages of notifications in my Inbox, and although I've read the 'back 5 pages of posts', I have not had the time/chance to read all the posts of the first two pages of notifications...let alone go through all 7 pages, delete the ones where a reply isn't needed, and then prioritize which ones are most important to answer the quickest. With 7 pages of notifications, just clicking on each notification, scanning the post and deciding whether or not to delete it or answer it will take the majority of a day.

There's 4-5 people that have been waiting for 'complete recommendations' for several weeks, a few more have been not waiting quite so long...plus the 'couple three dozen' posts I needed to have made in that time...plus another 'couple three dozen' in the last few days. And :::sigh:::: that doesn't count all the times I want to join in on the 'forum fun' or have the time to shout "woo-hoo's & yahooey's"!  And then there's the official 'Forum Description' that needs several more pages compiled; and the 'working FAQs' that desperately need updated, compiled and added to the official forum FAQ's :)

Of course, I'm sure you've guessed who is the only 'customer service department', bookkeeper, personal assistant to the owners (lol), secretary & janitor for the Storefront/Apothecary? That'd be me...and sometimes that amounts to 5-10 emails a day (and if one of those emails is helping someone that doesn't speak English figure out how to use PayPal...?...well, you get the picture).   Btw, it's quite phenomenal that around 60-70% of the 'outgoing herbs' from the Apothecary are not headed to people that are posting on this forum!

Each and every comment, question, answer, and testimony is being seen by hundreds/thousands of people around the world. Our vision for this forum was that we (and ultimately every person posting) would "be the change" and make a positive difference in the health of our fellow brothers & sisters everywhere in the world...and folks, the 'positive domino effect' IS happening.  And you ARE a major part and reason for it happening...and it continuing to happen.  We are radiating healing truth and blessings globally (not to mention blowing a few holes in the plans of the PTB)...and I have the postage records to prove it!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."   Margaret Mead

There are no words to express how grateful & thankful we are for this forum, and for each of you. You are part of something that DOES make a vital & healthy change in this unhealthy, toxic world.   How cool is that? :)

***

So you see, I'm not just "up to my neck"...I'm totally buried. And if I don't take a few days to finish up the posts for those that have been waiting already for weeks and get at least some level of organizing, outlining & prioritizing done, I'm going to go nutzo...and more importantly, more people are going to be waiting longer and/or not getting the information they need.

***

How's Rocky doing? With both the forum and the Apothecary, we're dealing with a major 'growth hump'. The Apothecary has totally taken over our 900 sq ft home, and we must refurbish the basement in order to handle the growth & consistently increasing orders. But, refurbishing the basement is going to take $3-$5K that we don't have and can't get until... (you guessed it), we consistently handle more orders!  (oh my, nobody warned us about his 'growth hump').

The Apothecary has totally taken over your house? Wellll, to be honest, there's no herbs in the bathroom or our one bedroom.   There's not enough space for Rocky to pre-bottle or pre-bag ANYTHING, because there's absolutely nowhere to put it if he does!  So he can't bottle or bag anything until there's an order for it...which means he has to fill all the individual bottles and bags for each item for every order.***

There are four warehouse 'shelf units' that hold all the gallon & 1/2 gallon tincture jars (kitchen, living room, my tiny 'office'); stacks of cases of "pressed tinctures" in canning jars; several cases of vodka (my tiny office); various stacks/cases of empty jars in various rooms; 14 of those huge Rubbermaid storage 'totes' (you know, the ones that are thigh-high?) - stacked in the living room holding the herbs, clay, yeast & charcoal; stacks of food-grade 5 gallon lidded containers with all the dry-blends (major), and a closet full of gallon jars of all the dry-blends (minor), ...plus the oils, plus all the empty bottles/labels, plus packing boxes & peanuts, plus spools of blank CDs & DVDs, plus 'ad stumble-itus maximus' :)

The last new moon? He/we needed to tincture 25-30 gallons of tinctures. The only place for doing that would be the kitchen table. So until those gallons of tincture are macerated (in a VitaMix that seems to be growing smaller & smaller), and we mange to figger out how to 'make space' on the current shelf units (or magically find space for another one), we eat at our separate desks.

There's no way we can invite anyone over (seriously!)...there's absolutely no place for more than two adults to sit.

Amazingly, Rocky is still shipping every order out the day after we receive it (with his customary 'excellence in packaging'); only "full IP orders" take two days to ship.

***How he does it is totally beyond me!  Picture this: spray off the counter with H202; go get the empty tincture bottles from 'that pile in that room'; get the labels from his filing cabinet; get the pressed tinctures from 'that pile in that room'; take it all on the counter; fill each bottle tincture bottle; put on the labels; melt the shrink bands; set that aside on the kitchen table (oops, it's covered in tinctures); get the 5 gallon container of Superfood & IF#2; get the IF#1 capsules from the jar on the 'tincture shelf' in the living room; get the Kelp Formula out of the closet in my office...and don't forget to mix up another gallon of IF#1 powder to take to Uny's mom, so she can stuff more capsules. And because over 180 different herbs are stored in fourteen different containers (instead of easily accessible on shelves)...this means that on tincture days (and the days when he mixes batches of teas or other blends), he has to unstack & restack and go through ALL the tubs to get the herbs he needs...and that can take almost a full day on the day before tincture-day). And that's not including weighing and 'inventorying' each one afterward.

In over two years, only three items have ever been out of stock in our Apothecary for more than a few days (two of them were due to mistakes by Mountain Rose).  In over two years, he's only made 3 mistakes on order (and only 4 broken bottles...the packages were crushed on 2).

--->>> And there's one more small lil' thing...Rocky gave up a very successful career as a gifted & renowned lapidary artist (a skill/artistry and major part of himself that he invested 20 years of his life accomplishing)...just so he could 'be a servant' to others by filling bottles, packing boxes, and going to the post office.

AND, out of the hunreds of times I've hollered at him to change or add something to an order (after he thinks he's finished 'packing orders' and has the boxes sealed), never once has he EVER grumbled or told me "too late, I'm on my way out the door"....even it means he has to drive 20 minutes each way to the 'other' post office, or if he has to get up at 5-6 am on Saturday to get out an important box (the post office is only open from 8-9am on Saturday).

I'm tellin' you true, there's one person on this forum that is SERIOUSLY lacking in praise, acknowledgement, respect and appreciation...and that's my beloved husband whom I adore with all my heart & soul.

***

Are we gonna make it over this hump? ABSOLUTELY!

Once the basement (cellar) is refurbished and the majority of the Apothecary is moved downstairs, then we'll be able to start looking for someone locally that 'wants to learn about herbs' while making a few extra bucks helping Rocky 10-20 hours a week. (You can bet, their first job will be "shaking tinctures"! lol). Just having everything in the same location and be able to 'pre-bottle' the tinctures will be a major victory.

And now that I realize I'm going to need to keep a daily 'bookmark file' of 'all posts needing answered' (and bookmark them as I read them); add a bit more 'organizational scaffolding', and take a few pockets of 'down time' to finish the FAQ's, and create a few "these are the basics & why" posts (so that all I'll need to do is throw in the extras for specific symptoms for newbies)...well, I'll be able to consistently keep my head above water with my posts & responses.

So, please accept my sincerest of apologies for my delays...and please send us all the prayers & good energy you have to spare (along with extra time, extra sleep, and your extra bundles of 'c notes' & bags of gold doubloons!) :::grin:::

See ya at the top of the mountain!

Unyquity & Rocky53