You may think that all the admonitions to plan ahead are just scare tactics or ploys to increase sales.  That’s not always the case.

I typically do handmade gifts for some people on my gift list.  Lately, I’ve been making gift baskets.  Last week, I finally settled on what I will include in this year’s baskets and set out to purchase the craft supplies I would need. 

One of the things I wanted to put in the baskets was a pair of hand-rolled beeswax candles.  I decided that months ago, but hadn’t gotten around to ordering the beeswax from one of the many online merchants I’d researched.  I went online today to place my order and discovered that it isn’t considered safe to ship beeswax in the winter.  If the sheets freeze in transit, they won’t be usable.  Unless I can find a local source that got their shipment while the weather was still warm, I’ll have to change my plans.  If I’d ordered 2 weeks ago, I’d have been fine.

Sigh.  I am a sad elf.