Hello LOL Believers
Life aboard a boat
It’s Monday evening, another foggy evening on the water with the sea lion beasts across the channel barking incessantly. I am typing from my ipad at the nav station on the boat, AirPods in and some random music that I collected over the years. I do my best work while listening to music – its mostly how I created LOL, in the car, music blaring like a concert in my LOL cube. Ideas just came to me, inspiring me to take next steps, or solve the business puzzles every day in a better way. 
Our boat
Tonight I’m surrounded by the ancient teak wood from Taiwan where our boat was built. While Tom has a project list several pages long, he attempts every weekend to keep her from falling apart under our feet. The cabin sole is creaking now after 10 years of living aboard and cruising the local islands. She has weathered 90 + mph storms in her berth, kept us safe both at the dock and at sea. She has been our safe cocoon from the craziness of the world, wrapping us in her warm cozy teak during the losses of our parents, grandparents and several friends…
We did get out on the water yesterday, after it took me more than three times to hoist the monster main sail. The long battens kept fouling with the rigging on the way up which means I have to let it down and start over. Finally, with the sail hoisted, on the fourth and final attempt we headed out of the harbor. For a couple of hours we were literally bobbing around out on the mixed up swell again but no wind. We let the new big head sail fly and all it did was flop around making the loudest and unsettling noise. But, eventually it filled for a bit but the wind was just not enough to keep our sails filled so we furled all the sails in and headed back to our dock.
Lemonade Updates
So, lemonade land has been quite frankly amazing. I look back on these 12 years and have realized we have served over 2 MILLION customers! Wow, I have been so busy I just keep looking forward, rarely looking back. We have everything, glass, trays, lemon, sugar, and some labels all on their way to the co-packer. There have been some delays on the sugar this time. Hopefully all will be well and everything will arrive on time for the 4 am bottling time next week. Bottling day is magical. I remember the first moment I saw the name of my company on the ingredients that arrived at the plant. And then to hear the clanking of the glass so loud it was deafening as they made their way from the pallets to the line.
The smells of freshly brewed lavender flowers and then the mixing of the lemon and sugar. The tasting of the first warm sips. Our first lemonade baby. I was so amazed to see the very first bottles being filled, cooled and then wrapped with the beautiful label and put into the cardboard trays by hand.
The Beginning
I think back 12 years ago on those first days -there is nothing like it. Creating something from nothing and finding a way (a long way) to make it “real”. No, this wasn’t “just lemonade” as I heard the naysayers say. This was magic – And, it’s been magic ever since. I am so lucky to have found the right people to be with us this whole time. You all know who you are and I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you. I appreciate your willingness to always step outside the box to help this little lemonade company do great things.
Now, if I can just find the time to write those last 30k words to finish my story about LOL…
Until next week –
We are here to serve you the most delicious lemonades for you to sip and share.
Lori Volk, Chief Believer/Ironman
Lori’s Original Lemonade
https://lorisoriginallemonade.com
Since 2011
