Sunday, July 24, 2011

I think the heat wave is finally on its way out the door. Hopefully it will take the humidity with it. I made a batch of a new soap in honor of Aggie.  It's a plain Lard & Lye bar - the same kind of soap Aggie would have used when she was raising her brood of 12.   I was looking for some vintage pics of Aggie with the kids. Gordon and Nancy stopped by on Thursday night and provided me with this.  Anna sharpened it and designed the label.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  It is listed on the website along with a brief synopsis of Aggie's life and her amazing strength of spirit.  This picture must have been taken in the late 40s because Harold looks to be about 1 or 2 here and he was born in 1946.  He's a little hard to see, but Agnes is holding him.

We had a gathering at Judy's house on Friday and we gave all the siblings a bar.  This label is a little different than what was on those bars.  I like this one a lot better.  In this picture are Agnes, Betty, Jane, Joan, Irene, and Harold - the first five of the 12 she would eventually have. In fact, Agnes was most likely expecting again when this picture was taken.

One of the other pictures Gordon had with him was of the old Allen country school that used to be down the road.  All of the kids except Marie and Howard went there.  I was sad when it was torn down.  I hate to see historic buildings disappear.  I'm really glad that someone took this picture!  When I run, I go by the spot where this school used to stand. 

I made some bath fizzies tonight.  We'll see how they do through the night.  It wasn't a great day to do them because of the humidity.  I also made another batch of the new soap.  I have to do a couple more batches of goat milk soap because I have some goat milk I need to use up.


Word of the day:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (1828-1898), Saint Christina, Virgin and Martyr († c. 300)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:44-52.

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Do you understand all these things? They answered, "Yes."
And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

Thursday, April 7, 2011

I am so late getting on here today. I started the day with a 2 mile run, followed by a staff meeting. Picked up a few things after the meeting and came home and made dinner. After dinner I decided to make a video of me cutting up the lemongrass (posted below). Well, Harold came in and decided he needed to be part of the process so I added him to the video. It took me most of the afternoon to do the video, edit it, and upload it. Those of you who have seen it, just scroll on by. LOL!  Harold has been frantically checking for comments.  It's so funny.  He thinks he needs to borrow my ipod so he won't miss a posting. 



Later, I managed to pull a muscle in my back while reaching for something while I was putting up a new soap shelf. The one I have downstairs is nice, but the chicken wire is cutting into my softer cold process slices and loaves. No quilting tonight because my back hurts.

I did manage to make a loaf of Monkey Bars because I think that's going to be a favorite of mine. I sprinkled orange and yellow on top to represent bananas and peaches.  I also made 4 Maple Leaf bars for samples.  I can feel heat coming off of this loaf.  I like these green silicone molds for small batches, but I think my favorite is my 60 oz. wooden mold.  I don't mind lining it because it came with a wooden form to mold my freezer paper on. 

I used up the last of the lye. I am hoping my new supply comes tomorrow. I got a shipping notice on it today.


As stated in the video, Deb from Springvale Soap took pity on me (ahahahaha) and placed an order so I now have an official soap sale off of Etsy.   Thanks, Deb.  I hope you enjoy the soap.  Don't forget that the Honey, Oats and Milk has a cure date of May 2.

Oh, I forgot to tell you the reason I am so late getting on here.  At the moment we are again a "one computer" household.  Our PC is having boot up issues.  Of course when we take it in, they have no problem booting it up.  "It could be one of a thousand things."  Not good news.  

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Sr Josaphata Hordashevska (1869-1919)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:31-47.

Jesus said to the Jews: «If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life.
I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Another episode in the continuing saga, Soap Diaries.  I was not a happy camper when I cut my soap this morning.  I jumped out of bed, excited to see how my fantastic idea turned out.  Everything looked promising as I hoisted the loaf from the mold.  As I peeled down the paper I noticed that it looked very greasy.  Undaunted, I cut the first slice.  Crumbles.  What?  I quickly did a "zap" test which told me that it was not lye.  (A zap test consists of touching ones tongue to the offending leakage to determine if it is lye or oil.  Do not try this at home.)  I did not get zapped.  And, by the way, fragrance oil is not good for breakfast.  I finally determined that the crumbles were from the layer of soap shreds that I had sprinkled between the layers.  It did not have the desired aesthetic result that I was trying to achieve.  As I cut each slice, it oozed fragrance oil.  You can see it in the picture below. The bottom is darkening.  As it cures, its exposure to the air will continue the darkening process.  The top surprised me in that it hasn't darkened at all. 

I am not yet ready to call this a failed batch.  We'll do an assessment in a week or so.  I think the soap shreds, because they were at a different stage of saponification, did not incorporate well as a layer.  It's possible that the two layers will come apart.  Again, we shall see. 

I am now headed for the shower with a slice of Monkey Bar soap which turned out very nice indeed. :)

Word of the day:

Saturday of the Third week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St. Francis of Paula, Hermit (1416-1508)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:9-14.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."