Monday morning , what can I get done before work ?

We get up typically at 7am.   Today I slept in until 730am.  I was up and ready to empty the dishwasher. Dude was already up paying bills ...ugh.   Then it was time to feed the animals and yep, poo duty for me. Cleaning the yard for dog droppings, what?  Someone has to do it. *smile*

The new laying hen chicks are about ready to begin going outside with the big birds.

The meat hen chicks have about two weeks left and then they head to the butcher. These have been doing very well this year. They are very healthy. Remember they sold them to us for 89 cents (usually $2.89 but this year almost $5 each) each because so many died on the way here in the mail from all the cold and snow east of us.

 Horses, dog, cats, geese, guineas, and chickens all fed. Next up, breakfast for us.  Dude "has" to have the same thing almost every day ... eggs, bacon, toast... me? I had fried mush - leftover cheesy grits sliced and fried up. 

Dishes were done. 

Next up, finish bottling up the laundry soap. Dude made it a few months ago and never bottled it up. So I got it done this morning. 

There are three rows. It will last us a few months. 

If you want to make your own here is the recipe. The original recipe lasts about a year but we like to share. 

peace.

Blessings of Winter plus Dude gets crafty

It snowed last night. 

I love winter, I just don't like driving in it.  Some folks just dread it and constantly think and worry over it, in fact I think it ruins their season of fall from just the worry. But most people move to Colorado for the winter activities.  Here are some I love:

• Focusing on family. Built a snowman. It doesn't always work here since our weather is dry. My boys used to build snow forts.
• Dogs love snow and playing in it.
• Fire in the woodstove.*
• Time to get cozy.*
• All those quilts I have been working on are now taken out and used!
• Everything becomes quiet when it snows.
• Walk in the snow. 
• Holidays are coming. 
• Snowshoe challenge. My mom took me on my first snowshoe hike years ago. It was more difficult than it looks but she kept me going. 
• If I get stuck in the city due to snow, I get to stay with family. 
• Curling up with a good book. Turn off everything and sit in front of a warm fire. 
• Make more hats and scarves. 
• Warming up with a hot cup of cocoa or tea.*
• Bonfires!
• Light those candles.

* these are Dude's favorite

Dude got crafty yesterday.  

He asked how to make laundry soap. I gave him the recipe and he got to work. 

He did a good job.  Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try. You won't have to buy laundry detergent again!

He also made a marshmallow bazooka and a marshmallow gun.  Hahahaha. These are so much fun and very accurate.

If you have a wintery day I hope you embrace the season and enjoy the day. 

peace

Tuesday - day two bottling laundry detergent, and dog pillows ready for delivery.

I got up and started right in making my meals for this week's dinners at work, ravioli soup.  I got the recipe here.  It is low calorie and very tasty. 

Jarred it all up and ready to go. 

Next I needed to get the laundry detergent I made yesterday bottled up for use. This is how it looked when I opened the lid. 

It was like jelly. Stir up good. 

I got my recycled bottles out and filled them half way with water and the rest of the way with detergent. Yes, all my stuff for work is out and ready to go.  

All snug and ready to use. 

This is how the chicken saloon looked when I left this morning. Trusses were up.  It's dark when I got home but I could see there was more work done today.  It has been very hot and windy, so there isn't a whole day Dude can work on it. It will get done by the end of the week. 

 Dog pillows were finished. This one is for a great dane. I hope he loves it. (the cats at the door are wondering where theirs are)

These two are for new family members of a friend who have puppies. 

Everything is packed up and ready for delivery before work. 

That's it, well, besides the regular chores. Hope you all sleep well. 

peace 

Making laundry soap and unloading firewood

I am all out of laundry soap, so it's time to make more.  For two of us this recipe keeps us in laundry soap for a year but we always end up giving some to family and friends.  It is super inexpensive and is easy on the skin.  This is about the third time I have made it and I love it.  I add lavender essential oils to mine. 

There are only three ingedients.   I LOVE this stuff and this coming from a hard-core Tide user.  The house smelled wonderful as I made it.  My friend, Sunny, another farmgirl, taught me how to make it and here is her recipe.

I started grating the soap with a cheese grater. 

The grated soap is melting on the stove with the water. 

Then added with the water, borax , and washing soda.  I added lavender oil.

Now we wait.  Tomorrow I will "bottle" it up for use. The house smelled so clean and wonderful. 

The combine team came today to bring in the wheat.  I had heard the crop this year wasn't that great and some of the farmers are selling it for cattle feed. 

Remember the wood we got yesterday?  Dude unloaded it this morning. 

It's how you get the job done when there is no help. 

I had to head to work but I heard the trusses were put on the Chicken Saloon.  Can't wait to see in the morning. 

peace

Meet Milo, bottling detergent from yesterday and more ideas for Lent with boys

This is Milo.  He is one of Running Water's sons born on Sunday 2/21/16.  He is the smallest of the two, loves hugs and kisses, long naps and is not afraid of Papa Skippy (aka Mountain Apache's Warrior). He loves his mom and hopes to live on a farm in Texas someday.

 

Oh, and he has blue eyes like his mom.

The detergent is ready to bottle up. We left it over night to thicken. Stirred it up good. I used juice jugs from work that were going to be thrown away or water jugs.  Fill half way with detergent and half way with water and shake, shake , shake.  At this point I did add lavender to a couple of bottles and some I left plain because even that smells great.  Be sure to shake before each use.  Man, I love this stuff.  Made 10-12 jugs.

I love it when our friend and neighbor raises pig!

Teaching sons alms-giving.  This one I learned from my mom. When we were kids  saved all our change during Lent, well, really, all year in a big gallon jar. I think we assumed it was for some trip. But one Saturday before Easter mom told us that giving should be done without others knowing and we were going to give the jar of money to someone else. So, she had us sneak into church way before a Saturday mass and put the jar right inside the vestibule. The goal was not to let anyone see us and we must never tell anyone.  This was a good lesson to teach my sons. We saved our change mostly by collecting cans on our walks.  It got to be a joke in our family because my sons were embarrassed to collect cans.  But they didn't mind going to the can bank to have the cans be put on the conveyor belt and up and over to be crushed. It was sad, though,  most of the people there were poor mothers and homeless people, but it was what we did.  Anywhoo... we collected the money most of the year and then came time to give it away...it was our turn to put it in the back of the church, in the vestibule, without anyone knowing or seeing them. We got together -me and four little boys. Strategize.  And came up with a plan.  You must be covert like the military!  They must sneak in, not be seen, drop off the money and rush back to the car.  They did it but always came back running and laughing... announcing that no one had seen them. Success.  I am not sure they understood the whole idea of almsgiving but they did know we were doing something for someone else and unconditionally .  A lot of churches are locked during the day now.  But maybe during adoration some day, don't be surprised if a jar full of change appears out of nowhere for someone less fortunate.

Oh, and your jars don't need to be plain. Here is a nut jar I covered in fabric, glitter and a Smurf.

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. I am heading to see a new generation of boy...my grandson before going to work. Fun!