Soy Candles

When I was young, my grandmother was active on the local craft fair circuit. As a cute kid with missing front teeth, I would come along as a means to sell more crafts and also as the person who would help her to pitch the tent. I can still remember so many of the specifics of those works of art, most of which were made painstakingly in grandma’s garage. The hand-painted wooden snowmen were big sellers in the fall.

But above all I remember the sonorous tones of her handcrafted wind chimes, which were fashioned out of dining utensils. The forks, spoons and knives each made a distinctive sound as they clattered together in the summer breeze. These days I’ve found a way to replicate that nostalgic sound: a solarchime that works year round and even indoors. It doesn’t even need any wind to function perfectly.

When you look at them in the grand scheme of things, soy candles are still a relatively new invention. They were originally brought to market as an alternative to beeswax, which has always been on the expensive side. Soy wax is also all-natural; it’s not derived from petroleum, which would raise carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. And soy candles last much longer than their traditional paraffin wax counterparts.

For those who prefer a flameless alternative, the soy tart is a sensible solution. It can be used in any standard electric tart warmer, and the pleasant odor permeates through the room in record time as the wax melts. Soy wax boasts a lower boiling point, which means that the tart’s essential oils are dispersed throughout the area quickly and efficiently.

My research on solar power has certainly been educational.  The sun is a natural marvel that we are just beginning to appreciate. Although, many cultures have embraced the sun as their God, over centuries. In the 1890’s, solar water heaters were being used in the more sunny areas of the U.S.

 Then , in the 1920’s, large supplies of coal and oil were discovered, becoming the choice of many, with their low cost. Of course, we know today, these resources are not renewable. It is because of that we are now faced with how to best utilize our natural renewable resources for energy. There is still much more to be researched before we can rely on these sources of power. As we wait for this, we can still do our best to preserve what we have left.

As I listen to my sweet solar chimes sitting on the bookcase in my office, I will be reminded of all the research and hard work that is going on to bring the power of our sun to heat our homes and water, and provide us with enough solar power for all our needs.

Live Well! Enjoy More!