Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A lesson in obedience....

We ended our Thanksgiving holiday with a bang! About 5:00 pm Sunday evening Elijah came in the door crying hard. He had taken a tumble off of a dog house and landed palm down, stiff armed and was hurting. His brother Josiah had helped him home.

I managed to get his coat off to take a look....there was a fair amount of swelling just above the wrist. He was also in a lot of pain. He had good movement through the elbow joint and his fingers but the area above the wrist was very painful. I was pretty sure it was broken. He was also a little "shocky"... light headed, rapid breathing, uncontrolled trembling etc.

The first thing I did was to gather his brothers so we could lay hands on him and pray...for healing, for peace, and for wisdom for the doctors. Immediately the trembling ceased and his breathing calmed down. I then covered the area with my Arnica salve to take down the swelling, borrowed a magazine from my Mom to wrap the arm in to immobilize it and we headed for the hospital.

My Mom drove us to the E.R. so that I could sit in the back with Elijah. He was frightened - fear of the unknown mainly - he has only been in a hospital one other time and his visits to the Dr. over his lifetime you could count on one hand. I promised him that I wouldn't leave no matter what, and that I wouldn't let the Dr.'s do anything that I didn't approve of (his big concern was that he would be made to take a chemical concoction of medicine!). His other great concern was having to wear a cast over Christmas....something I wasn't able to fix!

I had called ahead and was told that it would be a long wait - they had been swamped all day. So that became a matter of silent prayer on the way. I can truly say that God went before us - we had hardly sat down before he was called. We were actually in and out of the hospital in an hour - miraculous! They brought x-ray to him so he wouldn't have to walk. The nurses, x-ray techs and the doctor were kind and gentle.

I asked to see the pictures when they were ready. No films anymore - it is all done digitally and placed into a computer file. They called me back - broken! He had snapped the radius bone clean in half about 2 inches up from the wrist. Thankfully the bone was not displaced. Apparently this is quite unusual with this type of fracture. I have to give credit to the rolled magazine! They asked if Elijah wanted to see the pictures - and of course he did. He was fascinated!

He was fitted with a splint and we were given instructions to visit an orthopedic doctor the next day for a cast which we did. As you can see, Elijah is now sporting a bright green cast - signed by Mom and all of his brothers.


Here is the interesting part of this story. I have been dealing with Elijah for several months now in the area of obedience during chore time. Elijah has a hard time doing chores without playing. He also often stops to look at a pretty rock, find a special leaf or hunt for bugs. Do you remember the old "Hi and Lois" comics? Remember the little boy who was told to go home (across the street!) and they showed the trail he took all over the neighborhood to get there? That's my son! Elijah has faced quite a bit of discipline over the last few months working on his lack of obedience in this area.

Elijah broke his arm during chore time. When he did this, he was in an area of the barn that he isn't allowed in. He was also playing with one of our Pyrs instead of doing his chores.

Wow! Great lesson material! I told Elijah that I would not discipline him for his disobedience this time because I believed that God was disciplining him. I went over the fact that God places parents over a child in a position of authority to "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6". I also shared that by learning to be obedient to me when I am not looking will help him walk in obedience to God as he grows older. I explained that when we choose to walk in disobedience, God may allow it for a season, but the time will come when discipline will ensue. "Re 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten."

This was an eye opener for Elijah! He understood that if he had not been in a forbidden part of the barn (and playing) this would not have happened. If he had been obedient, all would have been well. He apologized telling me that he knew that if he had been obedient, we would have been home having dinner instead of sitting in the E.R. He understood the lesson that God had allowed him to experience!

This is a lesson that Elijah will not easily forget. It made much more of an impact on his life than all of the discipline I have meted out over the last few months. I am thankful that his heart and spirit were touched by the hand of God.

Now, before I get a ton of emails telling me I am stifling my child's curiosity, please let me assure you that Elijah has plenty of time in his day to collect, leaves, rocks, bugs etc. And, quite often, we do this together. But there is a time to play and a time to work. Unfortunately, there are many adults today that have not learned that lesson!

And for those of you who are tempted to write claiming I serve a harsh and unloving God if He would "do this to a child". Let me assure you that God only disciplines His own children and He only does so out of love. I do not believe that God "did this" to Elijah...I believe that God allowed this to happen because Elijah belongs to Him and He loves Elijah more than I could ever conceive. Elijah needed correction in this area and God was able to provide this in a way that ministered to most particularly to my son's heart!

Job 5:17 Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
Heb 12:7-8 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I look forward to seeing the peaceable fruit of righteousness in this area of Elijah's life!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

So much to be thankful for....

I am fast approaching this Thanksgiving and my heart is full.

I have been busy in the kitchen, the yeast roll dough is resting in the frig (thank you for the awesome recipe Julie!) and much has been prepared in advance! The house has been cleaned from top to bottom and the laundry is actually caught up! Tomorrow I will be making two large pans of sweet potato casserole, yummy!

My Mom is helping cook for Thursday and she is making the wonderful southern cornbread dressing that my family has enjoyed all of my life. I will stuff the turkeys (yes there are two!) with half of the dressing and cook them breast down until the last 30 minutes - then turn them over so the breast can brown. This makes for a VERY moist and tender bird. I mix fresh squeezed orange juice (organic oranges!) and some of our honey for a glaze to baste with. Once the turkeys come out of the oven, I will remove the dressing from the birds and mix it with a pan of dressing I have pre-baked - this keeps the dressing from being overly moist (I hate that!) or too dry.

We will have green beans and mashed potatoes (both from our garden) with gravy. Mom is also making pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake pie. Of course we will top those with freshly whipped cream from Nora, the world's best cow!!

Thursday morning we will indulge in fresh milk, homemade sweet rolls with butter cream frosting and fresh squeezed orange juice - this will be a late breakfast and hopefully hold the boys until the big meal is served!

I look forward to sitting at the table - with all of my family as well as some people who were facing a lonely day.

I look back on the last year and am so thankful that God has been by my side. It has been a tough year in many ways but He has not abandoned me! There are so many things to be thankful for but most of all to know that God loves me, died for me, desires to fellowship with me and spend time with me .....well....how can you put into words what it is like to be a daughter of the Most High King?

I pray that you will be spending the day with those you care most about, that your heart will be filled with the awesome knowledge of God and with gratefulness for all that He does in your life and for all that He is!

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Why we milk a cow...NOT for the faint of heart...

There are many reasons we feel it is vitally necessary to own a milk cow today. When we began our searcch for a milk cow, we visited every Jersey dairy within 40 miles of our farm. I was surprised at the number of local dairies. I was appalled at what I saw. My heart broke for the cows....most were hock deep in their own droppings - very few were on green pasture if they were in milk. There was one farm that kept the youngsters on grass, and those waiting to calve but not the cows being currently milked.

I saw things that would make your skin crawl; cats drinking out of the bulk tank, cows being milked with filthy udders and teats, cows that were so injured they could barely walk but were being kept in the hopes of one more day of milk before they became what is known as "downers", and huge vials of dark, murky liquid being poured into milk tanks to counteract the mastitis that was running through the herd....that way the milk would test clean even though it was filled with infection! I was more than horrified!

I looked into those big brown eyes and could see pain and resignation. What an awful life for one of God's creatures....was this stewardship in any sense of the word?....definitely not!!

At first, I thought we had just come across a really bad farm....but, after seeing dozens like this, I  knew that I could never buy milk from the store again. And don't think the term "organic" means a thing when it comes to milk. There are so many loopholes in the system that most "organic" milk is no different than the generic brand....oh....except for the price.

I encourage all of you to learn the truth about "raw milk" and its' benefits...and find out the truth about what the stores call milk. To that end...here are some videos that I encourage you to watch...but be warned....you might head out the day after Thanksgiving and instead of hitting the local malls - you may be shopping for a cow!

Monsanto's Deception #1

Monsanto's Deception #2

Monsanto Lied

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Why we don't eat fast food!

Think you know where that burger's been? Follow this link Where'd that burger come from? and find out the truth!

Be sure to watch the movie "Fast Food Nation"....and read the book!

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Boys and adventure....

There is something in the heart of a boy that calls for adventure. I believe it is a God given desire - the desire to conquer kingdoms, tame the wild, win a fair lady's heart. I have 4 glorious boys - they are all very different in personality, likes, fears, looks, hopes, dreams...but they all have that desire for adventure. My eight year old Elijah is currently praying for God to bring him an adventure here on the farm...he dreams of caves with mysterious creatures, buried treasure, and trapping huge, wild animals. However, my 13 year old, Josiah, is creating his own adventure. Some time back he asked permission to go into a portion of the woods on our farm and build a shelter. He had just returned from a boy scout camp out. A young man demonstrated the art of building a lean-to shelter at this camp. He encouraged the boys to do this - and to improve on it everyday....and eventually they could end up with a cabin, and build the furniture to go in it! My son took this to heart...he has a dream...a vision of what this shelter will be. I have heard talk of his children playing in it one day. So with permission given, he set about clearing a small section of the woods and building a shelter. He began working on a frame. He used the small trees that he had cleared to put the frame together. One day Josiah came home with a broom he had made. He used one of the young saplings he had cleared for the handle. He gathered cedar boughs around the end and tied them in place. He was SO pleased with his broom and couldn't wait to demonstrate it's ability by sweeping the driveway....it worked well! This picture was taken about a week after making and using it - he wanted me to note that it was time to replace the cedar boughs so it would be full again. It was time to begin to fill in the frame. On an exceptionally warm and sunny day last week, Josiah asked if he could take his lunch to the shelter. He wanted to be able to relax and eat inside after filling in the frame. It was amazing how much joy came from that simple "yes". There was something that stirred in his heart at the thought of eating a meal in a shelter he had created. His excitement began to spill over to his little brother, Elijah. He has allowed Elijah to tag along almost every day to work with him, brothers working together to accomplish a common goal! As they work, they are taking breaks to explore the woods around Josiah's shelter....today they think they may have found a rabbit den....it will need further investigation! Beautiful leaves have been brought home and stories of bird sightings! Then one day, when Jeremy was exploring the woods with them, they saw a snake! This snake was huge and catching a sun bath out on a limb of a tree. Jeremy was sure it was a cottonmouth. He used the machete to detach its head from the rest of the body. The three brothers proudly brought home their kill. This was a long snake....a good 4 .5 feet at least (depends on how much left with the head!). The body was still writhing...very exciting to the boys - each one took their turn to admire it, hold it and tell their version of the story. I listened...from a distance (I just don't like snakes). I was thankful that Jeremy had been there to dispatch a poisonous snake from the area of the shelter. As a Mom, it is sometimes hard to turn them loose in the woods with snakes, coyotes, bears...oh my! But I also know that they need to do these things...in fact God has created them to do these things....and I know that He loves them far more than I do. I trust God with my boys...afterall...they are only on loan to me...they truly belong to Him. Although I haven't taught my boys how to do these things, I have provided a variety of books to spark their interest. There are two books that Josiah has been reading that have encouraged him in his outdoor adventures. The first one is Little Bear's Outdoor Adventure Guide for the All-American Boy. Little Bear appears at many home-schooling events. He truly is an evangelist dressed in buckskins and fur! His book contains chapters on trapping, tanning, snares, shelters...and more! He knows how to touch the heart of a boy. The other book is The Indian How Book by Arthur Parker. This book will teach you just about everything you ever wanted to know about Indians. There are chapters on making things (tipis, canoes, traps, fishooks, rawhide, baskets and more) on Indian culture, dress, food, ceremonies, and even how they signaled, tracked and made war. Josiah is practicing on being as quiet as an Indian when stalking his brothers and friends in the barn during games....he is getting awfully good! Some parental supervision will be needed as you discuss with your child some of the practices and beliefs of Indians. Both of these books are becoming well worn with many marks and notes among the pages. I purchased them at Amazon - one new and one used (you can follow the link in the sidebar) and I highly recommend them to any boy who loves adventure...or girl for that matter! As the shelter progresses, I will be sure to keep posting ...and when he serves his first meal there, cooked over his own fire of course, I will be sure to take pictures to share with all of you!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Welcome!

Thanks for following me to my new home! As you can see it looks a little different. Be patient with me, I am still "unpacking" and learning my way around my new place.

You can see my spring garden at the top of my page. In the side bar on the right there is a search feature to help you find information faster. I am also working on categorizing my past posts so that you can look up your particular interest.

I get so many questions on where to purchase the things I write about that I have included a category of "Where I Shop". I will only place businesses there that I know are reliable and that I have done business with myself.

You will also see a section entitled "My Bookshelf". This is where I will list books that I recommend. This will be getting much longer over the next few weeks.

You will also see my archives and links listed as they were at the old location.

Pull up a box and share a cup of tea with me as I finish unpacking.

So glad you came!

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

How did I get here and how can you?

I receive a lot of email from my readers...and I try to answer each one. I get a lot of the same questions over and over... so I have decided to start answering the more common questions in my blog in the hopes of saving some time....which is what I lack the most!

Recently, I received the following question:


Dear Cheri,

Hello! I am an avid reader of your blog, even though I do not post often. I know you are a busy lady, but if you have a spare moment, could you please answer a few questions for me?

I was wondering how you came to such a vast knowledge of herbs, etc? Did you just read or did you take some courses or did you just read books? I understand your not wanting to give out recipes, etc. Please know I am not asking for that! I would just like advice on how to become well-versed in herbs and their uses. What would you suggest? Any books, websites?

I have the GI Bill to use, but am running into problems with herbal programs as they are not what you call traditional programs of education. Usually, the GI Bill won't cover 100% and we do not have the money to pay for courses for me to learn about herbs! The one place I found that does all online courses (Australasian College of Health Sciences) will only reimburse 55% of course costs. For a one-income family, that just doesn't work.

I hope I am making sense! I have three little guys in the background that I need to go tend to. :) (You know how that is, right?? ;) Take care and God bless.


First of all, I definitely would not consider my knowledge of herbs "vast". In fact, the longer I study and the more I learn the more inadequate I feel - I also don't seem to retain the knowledge that I gain quite as well as I did a long time ago (have to remember to drink my Remember Me Tea!). But let me share with you how I got where I am....

I started having an interest in herbs after the birth of my first child (over 24 years ago!). I knew by this time, from my own experience, that doctors don't always have all the answers. So....I began to read about alternatives and to ask other Moms what they did. This was before the days of a computer and internet hook-up in every home so I spent time at the library with my nose in books and magazines. I loved to go to bookstores and peruse the shelves...I went to herb shops and began to glean what I could. I had to do a lot of filtering...as a Christian I began to see that the enemy had truly taken control of this industry. I learned to "eat the meat and spit out the bones".

At the time, I bought herbal remedies produced by companies. As the years passed, I was able to slowly purchase herb books - used book stores are a wonderful resource for this! I read as much as I could and began to apply it to our lives. I studied the things that were pertinent to my own family. As more pregnancies and more children came along, I had the "opportunity" to study new and different situations and I also learned that where one herb might work for some of the children it didn't necessarily work for all. This taught me to study further and to be patient until I found what worked. It might be a different herb or a combination of herbs. I also studied labels of "formulas" sold in the stores....I still do this today....whether it is a food item, medicinal tea or tincture....I am always interested in making it myself if possible.

I spent many years studying on my own and collecting books. Friends saw that my children rarely went to the doctor and they began to ask me how I treated this or that in my own family...then they began to ask me about situations that they faced in their families....which required me to study and learn about new and different herbs. I began to order in herbs and make some of my own medicinal remedies. I also began to grow a few in my garden.

I had a strong desire for a more formal education in this area (still do!) but had trouble finding courses that didn't require me to sit in an Indian Sweat Lodge and mutter chants to a false god or other nonsense! Many years ago I had the opportunity to take some formal classes.....it wasn't the best situation. The person had claimed to be a medical doctor and a Christian. As I went further into the classses, I could see that neither of these were probably true - this person was steeped in Native American spiritual teachings - completely at odds with the Word of God. I had good reason to doubt the "doctor" label too. I began to see that some of their teachings on herbs weren't completely accurate. But God used this situation for good (Romans 8:28 in action!). Because I couldn't "trust" my teacher, it compelled me to check everything for myself....I studied harder than I ever have...I had a deadline to meet before class each week. I learned more during that year of classes...not from my teacher....but because I was motivated to study hard. I began growing more and more herbs myself....they are so easy to grow and it saved so much money.

I began to take some correspondence courses - again, nothing I could recommend because of all the new age garbage. I have heard that there is a course taught by a Christian woman - I checked it out...it is expensive. I have written to her twice to ask about her credentials...before I pay that much for a course I want to know about the education/experience of the one who is teaching it. I am disappointed that I have never received an answer...this makes me wonder about the course itself. I don't find it necessary for someone to have a lot of letters after their name (I certainly don't have them!) but I would like to know about their experience before I spend hundreds of dollars!

Now for the most important question - how do you become well-versed in herbal knowledge? Start reading....get 1 or 2 books on basic herbal knowledge and get to know them well. And most importantly...start using them! Grow some calendula, even if it is in a flower pot, and harvest the petals and then read what you can do with them and ...well...do it! Wildcraft some red clover or mullein and make teas or salves or tinctures! Start with your health issues that you deal with the most and look for herbal solutions - go slow...learn as much as you can about that issue before you go to the next one. Grow the herbs...or even order them in (organic of course!) and begin to work with them.

Set a goal for yourself - I think a reasonable goal is to learn about 10 common herbs in a year. Each year add to that...I am still adding herbs - both to my garden and to my base of knowledge. The medicinal class that I teach on the farm covers 10 common herbs - it is a lot to cover and sometimes people feel overwhelmed. It is not possible to learn about those herbs in depth in an afternoon but we touch on each one and make something from almost all of them - I encourage people to spend the next few months studying and getting very familiar with those 10 herbs before moving on to more. I am still trying to get this course uploaded as an ebook but keep loosing the pictures in the process - please be patient with my lack of computer skills!

Lastly, remember that it took me a long time to get here.....it most likely isn't going to happen overnight for you ...be patient with yourself.... study hard...use the herbs and know that you will reap many benefits from this journey! The most important being that His creation shouts of His wisdom, of His love for us, and of His provision for our well-being and health. He is truly revealed and glorified by His creation...after almost 25 years I am still awestruck and amazed as I learn new things...and I am truly humbled that one so unworthy as myself is loved by such a God!

Sunday, November 5, 2006

Friday's Mis-adventure

Friday started out as a beautiful, sunny day.... Our little calf had been sold and the new owner was picking her up. We were so happy to see her go to a sweet agrarian family. They arrived and we explained how to get down to the corral where we had her penned up.

Now, I will say that we took this same route 3 weeks ago when we put a steer in a trailer to take to the butcher. We had no problems at all. I am still not sure what happened. Neither of us took the time to check the ground (mistake!)....and this nice young man headed his truck and trailer across the field. Well, he hit mud....I mean deep, deep, mud.....his truck was stuck but the trailer was still on solid ground. Jeremy ran to get my truck to pull him out. The muddy spot seemed to be localized. But we could hear water running - in fact we could see it in spots.

I went to get a shovel and when I got back the situation had become a little worse....this gentleman had locked his keys in his truck....it belonged to a friend and he didn't know if there was a hide-a-key. So...the mud got put on the back burner while they worked on getting the truck unlocked. I called our neighbor, Lloyd, to see if he had a tool that would work - he has a beautiful shop on his farm and is our closest neighbor. Unfortunately he didn't.

When I got back to the truck, they were trying to use a crowbar, slid through the back pop-up window, to throw the lock. After 10 or 15 minutes they were successful! Now back to the mud problem. The biggest worry was that the trailer wouldn't make it through the mud even if we freed the truck...and if we unlatched the trailer would the tongue get lost down in the mud? This gentleman asked if my neighbor had a front end loader that might be able to lift the tongue and push the trailer backward...I went back inside to call. Lloyd told me he had a grader blade on the back of his tractor and would be right over. I don't know what he was doing but I am sure that on a Friday afternoon he was busy...yet he dropped all and came to help. He has been a wonderful neighbor over the years.

Jeremy helped this gentleman get some boards under the tongue, they put cinder blocks in front of the tires and Jeremy and Josiah helped to stuff hay in the ruts for traction. The trailer was unhitched from the truck and Lloyd made quick work of pulling the truck free from the mud. He took a look at the wet area and said the water that he saw running was clear and was of a volumne that made him think of a 3/4 inch pipe. But to us it smelled like a septic tank..... yuck! And this young man was having to work in this muck! I can't begin to tell you how horrible I felt! As far as we know our septic lines don't go that direction....but Lloyd said there was an old septic system in another part of the yard. This neighbor should know, he was raised on this farm and knows every inch of it. We never knew about this....was the house hooked up to both?

Now for the trailer...Lloyd hooked up his tractor and pulled it catty-wampus so it could avoid the mud. The truck was backed up to the trailer, hitched back up and then pulled down to the corral to load the heifer. I held my breath at that point wondering if that also would be a problem..... but she loaded without too much trouble.

All in all, what should have taken 20 minutes ended up being an almost 2 hour ordeal...I know I apologized at the time, but if you are reading this....again...I am SO sorry....next time anyone needs to drive through a field we will double check the ground!

God really impressed upon me the differences in hitting obstacles with Him at your side as opposed to doing it alone. Although that afternoon was discouraging, dirty, and difficult....how refreshing it was to walk through it with Jesus. No one wanted to quit...no one lost their temper....foul words were never uttered and I could just about guarantee they didn't even cross anybody's mind. Boys were willing to put their hands to whatever needed to be done, small children played happily.....it was amazing to experience.

Peace in the midst of the storm....and you will only find that when you rely completely on Him.

Thursday, November 2, 2006

The Rose Lady of Cannelton, Indiana

My Gramma was known as "The Rose Lady". When she passed away 10 years ago, she had over 160 rose bushes in her yard. She lived in a little, tiny town in Indiana called Cannelton. It is just outside of another little town, Tell City. I spent several years living in Tell City as a child when my Dad was overseas. He moved us to Tell City so Gramma and Grandaddy could help Mom out during Dad's tour of duty overseas.

I loved Gramma's rose garden - she had a huge garden at the back of her house with row after row of roses - they also lined all of her walkways. She had every color imaginable and such a variety of scents - vanilla, citrus, musky, rosey, .......delightful. I can remember following Grandaddy through the narrow rows while he pruned and clipped.....my only real gardening experience that I can remember as a child. I also remember the ugly welts they would leave if I weren't careful to obey Grandaddy and "stay on the path".

They called Gramma "The Rose Lady" because she gave them all away. She gave them to hospitals, churches, neighbors, friends and strangers....for funerals, weddings, illnesses, birthdays....any reason at all. Why, if you stopped to admire Gramma's roses, she'd have Grandaddy out there cutting you an armful before you could finish introducing yourself!

I remember one time when vandals went through her yard one night uprooting many of her beloved bushes....her community was outraged...newspaper articles were written...someone called Jackson & Perkins (one of Gramma's rose suppliers) and told them of the terrible deed - and they shipped out replacements at no charge....the bushes were planted and life in their little town settled down once again.

There was one strange thing about Gramma....Gramma NEVER cut a rose and brought it into her house...and I never understood that! When I became an adult and would go back to visit, I always cut a bouquet and brought it into my room...and Gramma thought that was really odd! They smelled so good - I just couldn't help myself.

I have loved the scent of roses ever since....seems like the roses of today don't smell....at least not those that you get from a florist. They are beautiful ya'll....but no scent at all.....somehow they don't seem like a rose without a scent....beauty without substance!

So, in honor of my Gramma, I wanted to make Rose Soap. Boy, oh boy, was I in for a rude awakening! Most of ya'll haven't had the need to price rose essential oil......but I did....almost $600 an ounce....yep! you read that right....$600!!! And the real kicker is that I would need 6 ounces of oil!! Since Oprah Winfrey is the only person who would be able to afford that soap...and since she and I are not exactly intimate friends....I needed to find an alternative.

Now, you can get a lovely bottle of rose "fragrance" oil for just a few dollars...but a fragrance oil is a chemica ya'll ....and this farm girl tries to avoid chemicals. So....what to do? Then I found out from a more experienced soapmaker that Egyptian rose geranium essential oil smelled just like roses....now, it was a little pricey but definitely workable!




So, in honor of Gramma....I am happy to introduce my Rose Geranium soap! I also swirled crushed organic rose petals into the soap....and I must say it is a heavenly smell! It takes me right back to the summers that I spent at Gramma's house...following Grandaddy around the narrow rows or enjoying their evening scent as it drifted into my room at night (no air conditioning back then!). It has a luxurious lather and has very quickly become one of my favorite soaps!

All in all, I think Gramma would be pleased.....




Of couse when you have roses they always seem to be linked to the little white flowers known as Baby's Breath....the perfect name for another new soap!

I have been making this soap for a long time but have never put it up on my website (and I can't answer why...just never enough time!). It is the purest, mildest soap...a true Spanish Castille. The only thing in this soap is olive oil. It is SO wonderful for the skin and so mild that it is the best soap for babies and their sensitive skin. It also works wonders for people suffering from eczema or psoriasis....and of course for those people who have allergies! This soap does not lather as much as my other soaps but you won't believe how it leaves your skin feeling!

I found that many people who make "castille" use oils in addition to olive (which immediately prevents it from being a true castille!) I have also seen people add essential oils or herbs or...gasp!....fragrance oils, which again means that it is not a true castille. I must admit, as an avid soapmaker, it is hard to refrain from "prettyin' it up" but I did so want to re-create that true Spanish Castille soap that I was able to control myself (just barely!).

I have quite a few new soaps that I am working on - several scents just for men (fishermen, hunters and more!) One for those avid outdoorsey people who hate bugs, one for pets, a new softer scent for gardeners and another herb infused healing soap for babies...Some of these have been requested by customers or friends and some just sound like fun! So stay tuned...I'll write about them here!

Oh, Oprah..... if you happen to be reading my blog...for a hefty downpayment I'll be glad to make you a batch of the real thing!
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