My newest soap creation is called Walk in the Woods. I am dedicating this bar to my father because he was the one who inspired me to appreciate and love nature. This bar has a scent blend that reminds me of those special times when he would take us for a walk in the woods. It evokes feelings and memories in me that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Right now as I am labeling each bar, the sweet, earthy, woody fragrance brings me back to when I was very young. I grew up in the suburbs of a big city but thankfully there were forest preserves that my dad would take us to. I can remember the excitement, yet peacefulness I felt as we would enter the forest. Dad would find a good walking stick from the fallen tree branches that littered the ground and I would too. It would be so quiet even though you could hear birds chirping and the sound of twigs and leaves crunching under your feet. I can almost feel his hand holding mine as he slowly led us deeper into the woods, stopping every now and then to show you something. Sometimes it was a bird or an animal, deer droppings or tracks. Dad showed me where the deer bedded down for the night, wild blackberries, great trees and forest flowers. There was always something special to notice if you looked for it and he taught me how to look, be silent and listen, and discover these treasures.

These outings may have been few but they were the most profound and influential moments of my life. In these moments is where my deep love and respect for nature was formed. Though my skills to discover the wonders of nature were learned, the love and respect I have was grown from a seed. A seed planted by my dad sharing his love of nature with me and nurtured through the years by my love and admiration for him. Dad is gone now but he will forever be in my heart and a big part of who I am. The memories of the times we shared walking in the woods will also live on and every time I make a batch of this soap I will relive them.

UPDATE: Sadly, I no longer carry this soap.