Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - Making Country Roads Cold Process Soap

I made a batch of Country Roads soap last night.

Here are a couple of videos I made last night showing a bit of the soapmaking process






Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Fourth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. John Bosco, Priest (1815-1888) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 5:21-43.

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet
and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live."
He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. (At that) they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Today is soapmaking day. I made a batch of Country Roads. I also did a video which taking forever to upload so I will post it tomorrow. Here is what the soap looks like in the mold.

I'm hoping that it will look awesome tomorrow.  I just checked it and it is heating up.  There's a crack in the top.  Not my favorite thing, but it happens.

I've also been in contact with Jen Crawford who is in charge of the Girls On the Run program.  We make little soaps to put in the gift bags for the girls.  Jen is expecting at least 700 to participate this year!  So . . . . . I have started making the soaps.  We are doing Oatmeal Milk and Honey hearts.  Anna will be figuring out the packaging and Melisa will help package it.  We think this is a wonderful program!!

Word of the day:
Monday of the Fourth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Bathildes, Queen (c. 634-680)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 5:1-20.

They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
(He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But he would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 50% off Sale from our Etsy Team

We just can't seem to stop having sales at the Old Farmhouse Gathering.  We are sponsoring an OFG 50 Club HERE.  Be sure to check the individual shops because we each have a special section of 50% off items.

 
Word of the day:
Saturday of the Third week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (+ 1274) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 4:35-41.

On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side."
Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"
They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Oh, the Honeysuckle soap came out as pretty as I had hoped. I was a little worried when it started to gel. It got pretty dark, but this morning when I sliced it, I was very pleased. The goat milk supply is still holding out, but I need to check with Diane about when her goats will be milking. As nice as it would be to have our own goats again, I'm not all that crazy about milking, and now that the kids are gone, it would be me doing the milking.

I am getting the inventory ready for the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. I am also making myself get in my craft room and get stockings done so that we can have a stress free Christmas season next year.



Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Third week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Francis of Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (+ 1622) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3:31-35.

His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers (and your sisters) are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and (my) brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Monday, January 23, 2012

It's Monday and that means soap!  Today I made a batch of honeysuckle.  It may be winter outside, but it smells like spring in here.  It doesn't look all that impressive in the mold, but I can't wait to cut it and see how the swirls turned out.

Madison and Meghan were here today and we made cookies.  Both girls try to climb on the stool now so they can "help" Gramma.  They've worked it out with Madison on the step and Meghan on the top.  We made peanut butter chocolate chip, but Madison wanted to use M&Ms instead of chocolate chips.  Then they had to test them.

We also read stories!

It was a fun morning!!!


Word of the day:
Monday of the Third week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Church : Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Saint(s) of the day : St John the Almoner, Patriarch of Alexandria (+ c. 620)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3:22-30.


The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Sunday, January 22, 2012 - Hint for Trivia giveaway

Super duper important update:   Mrs Deb E. formerly of Springvale Soap  has correctly identified the item as a Hair Receiver. 
Shortly after posting this update, I checked our facebook page and saw that Susan Sunderman had tried to post the answer on our blog but was unable to do so.  (Naughty eblogger site!)  Therefore, we have two winners!!  Congratulations, Ladies.

Word of the day:
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr (+ 304)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1:14-20.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

Saturday, January 21, 2012 - Trivia Giveaway!!

It's trivia time here at the Sugar Bush.  The first person to answer this question correctly will win his or her choice of any bar or slice of our soap. Name the item pictured below.  All answers must be entered in the comment section.  Good luck!

Word of the day:
Saturday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr (+ 304) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3:20-21.
He came home. Again (the) crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

Thursday, January 19, 2012

 We were featured in another Share the Love treasury today.  Click on any of the products to see a full description.  We have some talented artists at the Old Farmhouse Gathering.

Today will be a bit of a lazy day because I still feel punk. A little better than last night, but not much.

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Canutus, King of Denmark and Martyr (1040-1086)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3:7-12.

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I really hope I am not getting a stomach bug again.  I have felt slightly nauseous all day and it doesn't seem to be easing off. I went to cantor practice tonight and the cold air made me feel a little better, but then the nausea started creeping back in again.  I think tomorrow will be a rest day.

Meghan and Madison were here yesterday.  Madison has taken a liking to the Shirley Temple movie, "Heidi."  This is her version of the Heidi look.  

Actually, she reminds me of when my cousin and I used to play Jesus and Mary.  This looks very much like the "Mary" we portrayed.  And for the life of me, I cannot find the lace table runner that Madison used to create her look. 

The Flyzone this week is the bathroom and one other room.  I really didn't want to do bathrooms today, so I am getting my bins in order downstairs.  I wasted too much time in my day looking for things because they aren't where they belong.  Organizing the bins lets me know at a glance what I have in the way of inventory.  I discovered a lot of soap bars (we have switched to cold process slices) so I spent a lot of the day taking pics and getting them listed on Etsy.

I also worked on some Valentine tea lights.  Tomorrow, if I feel halfway decent, I need to get caught up on stockings.  I should have at least a dozen made by now and I don't.  I do not want to be caught short next fall. 

Oh, and I placed an order on Vista Print for notecards, post cards, shelf cards, and a magnetic sign for the car.  All free except for the shipping which was quite reasonable.

Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Jaime Hilario, Martyr (1898-1937)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3:1-6.

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us."
Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I'm back to my normal soap schedule. I made a batch of blueberry cobbler last night. I love how it turned out, but next time I won't put titanium dioxide in the lye water. I think the blues would have been truer if I had left it out. 

Today is a Madison and Meghan day. Madison loves her new sweater and insists on wearing it all day over her pjs.

I've been weeding through all my yarn left from when I had my knitting machine shop.  I'm pulling the nicest ones to make sweaters for the grandkids and the rest will be disposed of somehow.  I've been decluttering in the basement and made myself get rid of an entire box of the books I wrote.  I saved a copy of each for my own use.  Why do we get attached to our clutter?  I think we give "things" power over us.  Things hold memories.  I am making myself take pictures so I can keep the memories, but not the clutter.

Our Share the Love Celebration sale at Esty is going very well. Here is a small sampling in a treaury I made.





Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Anthony the Abbot, Patriarch of Monks (251-356)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:23-28.

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him,
At this the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

January 16, 2012 - Time to Celebrate!!

Click here and see all of the wonderful Valentine Themed Offerings.  We have several items on sale in our Etsy shop.  Come check it out!


Word of the day:
Monday of the Second week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Honoratus, Archbishop (+ 429), St. Marcellus, Pope and Martyr (+ 309)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:18-22.

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, «Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?»
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

Sunday, January 15, 2012 - New Promotion on the Etsy Site!

Tomorrow begins our newest promotion at the Old Farmhouse Gathering Etsy team. - Share the Love Celebration.  Come and visit these fine shops and see what we have on sale for Valentine's Day!  You will be amazed at all of the offerings that honor Love's special day!

 Word of the day:
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Paul, the first Hermit († 342), St. Remigius, Archbishop (438-533)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:35-42.

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
He said to them,"Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Kephas" (which is translated Peter).

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Of course, I am up early on the one day of the week I can sleep in. But it's always like that on the morning after I make soap. I can't wait to get up and see how it turned out. As I mentioned in my last post, I made a batch of Maple Syrup Festival.

I am in the process of standardizing my procedures and my part of the inventory. I've gone off into too many directions. Last winter I got caught up in the world of YouTube and saw so many things I wanted to try, one of them being cupcakes. I have mixed feelings about the cupcakes. I love to make them, but I am constantly hearing, 
"It's too pretty to use. I'm just going to set it out in my bathroom."
The soapmaker in me cringes because it is a total waste of wonderful soap not to use it. I am seriously considering dropping it from our line and only doing them for special orders.

Yesterday I started working on the bins in my dungeon workroom.  I am hoping that Harold and Howard will make me that PVC pipe thngy.  I went down to count my bins and I have way too many.  I did some weeding and sorting.   And, as is always the case, for now the dungeon looks worse than before.  But I am determined to get it organized this year.


Word of the day:
Saturday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Peter Donders, Priest (1809-1887), St. Sava, Abbot and patron of Serbia (+ 1255)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:13-17.

Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus heard this and said to them (that), "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Friday, January 13, 2012

Finally made soap again. I'm kind of out of my routine because soapmaking is a Monday night activity, however, due to some unexpected, but very welcome stocking orders from Etsy and Ebay, plus a few from our website, I've been too busy to make any soap.  Tonight I made Maple Syrup Festival.  It's been a little frustrating because my suppliers keep changing out the maple scents.  Grrrrrr.  I don't know if this one will darken.  I hope not, because I swirled it with a light cocoa and I would really like that to show.  But we'll see.  I have it in the oven so that if it gels, it will do a full gel and not a partial gel.  A partial gel does not affect the quality of the soap, but soapmakers do not like to see it.

 I've also been assembling various donations.  We did a Valentine Basket for a fundraiser for a cancer patient.  I wish I had thought to take a picture of it.  It turned out very nice.  I also assembled items for a fundraiser for my nephew.  And then there is the St. Mary Mardi Gras.  I love how this basket turned out!

I had intended to do a Mardi Gras theme, but couldn't find a way to tie that in with our Primitive Sugar Bush style, so I decided to just be what we are - a Country Primitive kind of business.

Today we had our first significant snowfall of the winter.  The roads were slippery going into Alma for Mass today.   I came home from church and had a nice lazy afternoon and spent some quality time with our youngest grandbaby. He is such a tiny little thing.  He's 2 months old but only weighs 7 pounds 12 oz.  He looks like a tired little old man.  Grandpa and I were able to coax a couple of smiles out of him today, though. 

Word of the day:
Friday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (c. 315- c. 367), St. Veronica of Binasco, Religious (144-1497)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:1-12.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"--
he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."