Thursday, August 30, 2007



Today I hit the floor running. Had to finish up several soap orders, feed, water, milk, then deliver a couple of local wholesale soap orders. I love Gillis Hill Farm ! It is a very large farm down the road from me besides selling fresh veggies has the best homemade ice cream with homemade waffle cones in the world! Their ice cream shop is inside the original old home. They have tours where you can see how a farm operates right down to curing tobacco and sawing trees into lumber at their antique sawmill. They have been selling my soaps in their shop for a couple months now and I am surprised how well they are doing. From there I had to go to Lake Rim Lawn and Garden to drop off another order. They have been selling my soaps for almost 4 months and keeping me busy. Lake Rim is a feed store that has been here forever and been handed down generation to generation. I walk in they know right away if I am there to deliver soap or purchase alfalfa for the goats. They know everyone by name and what they do or where they have been before they get there. A very small town farm store that I love! After leaving there I headed back home to do some laundry. Yes, I really do have a washer and dryer but I am serious when I say William and I really want to live the simple life. Its hard work but at the end of the day I am very blessed to be able to live this wonderful life. We are working on getting as back to basic living as possible. We are in the researching stage of solar power so we can supply our own electric power. I know that's not really part of simple living but I need my computer for my soap business and I am guilty of running the air conditioners when the temps are in the 100's. But anyway this is how I choose to do laundry. Its relaxing to me. While I am cranking the hand wringer I think back to growing up and my mother having a wringer washer and watching her wash clothes. My Grandma Messer used a wash tub and wash board for a little of my childhood. I remember her filling the washtub on Saturday night for bath time. It does take a little longer but the clothes sure look cleaner and smell so fresh! I did have to use store bought laundry detergent today. I am out of my homemade but will be making more tonight.
I went to get the rest of the dirty clothes to find that they had become a bed for a very tired baby kitty.
I am being nice and waiting till in the morning to do these so baby kitty can have a good sleep. Meanwhile I have to clean up the kitchen, feed, water, milk, lock the animals up for the night. I let the goats out today. When I walked over to the neighbors to check on her dogs injury to its foot, the goats stood at the fence and cried "mom". I am not suppose to be on the other side of the fence. Had to hunt eggs this afternoon as the hens decided to lay everywhere. One laid a egg in a chair on the porch (the part not screened in). One decided to lay one in a artificial flower stand. Several went way under the boat so I had to crawl to get them. Tomorrow I am going to be mean and let all the animals stay in their pens instead of roaming around. I bet I will have some very mad animals at the end of the day! Hope your day was filled with blessings!

12 comments:

DonnaB said...

That's really neat that your soaps are selling in the stores so well. I had to chuckle that you feel guilty turning on the air conditioner when it's in the 100s. I think you show considerable restraint. Our a/c is on once it's 88 degrees or more. I think the way you do laundry is charming...I'm not so sure I would have an inkling how to do laundry this way!

Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess said...

That is the sweetest picture of baby kitten!! I love it!! Sandy

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

Grandma "Messer"? Is she from the Messer's of Messer Mountain, NC.?

Very secong ever girlfriend, who broke my heart was a Melody Messer.

My mother's proper English family grew up in a duplex with the other half of the house occupied with a Messer family, Rowdy Scots.

River said...

Isn't it amazing the different things that relax people? You do your laundry by hand and find it relaxing, I crawl around on hands and knees hand weeding my front lawn.

Terri Steffes said...

I loved the kitties in the laundry basket. Although, I love kitties, period!

Joni said...

Awww Peggy that baby kitten is so darn cute there. It looks like it was playing in the basket and just conked out. LOL.

Paula said...

Peggy,
Glad to know your soaps business is doing well. I salute your efforts to get back to basics; however, I'm in awe of your laundry routine. We, too, want to live off the land, but I'm not sure about the laundry! Solar is on our to-do list, as well. Have a wonderful, relaxing Labor Day weekend.
Paula

Mrs.Garcia said...

Peggy, thank you for stopping by my blog. I just love all the updates on your farm especially about all the animals. How is Whiskers feeling now. Give them all a big hug from our Family to yours.
God Bless,
Mrs.Garcia

Carole Burant said...

Having used some of your soaps, I can see why they are selling so well, they really are fabulous!! You certainly had a very busy day...I can just picture you hunting for the eggs! lol I remember my mom having a wringer washer...she would put the clothes through the wringer and I would stand on the other side to watch them come out flat as a pancake and drop into the basket on the floor:-) Awwww look at that tired little kitty! lol xox

rhonda jean said...

peggy, I LOVE your washer. Like you I grew up watching my mum do the washing with a wringer. Later we had an electric wringer that I was taught to operate. I'd kill for a washer like that. I'm not sure what I'd kill, but I'd really like one. LOL

One of my chooks laid her egg next to an avovado seed last week. The seed was sitting on the ground and we found her egg next to it. She was very protective of it so I think she thought the seed was one of her eggs. I get a lot of laughs from my animals and chooks. I'm sure you're the same.

Rosie said...

I really like that washing setup! I'm addicted to my Maytag...but I need something like that for my felting..I think. I haven't actually tried to do anything yet but those bags of fleece from Mutton and Chops are sort of staring at me.

There are Messer's here too. My story about Lizie and Martha is about Lizie and Martha Messer and my trip up to the family graveyard. One of the mountains I can see from my back yard is Sol Messer Mountain.

Greeneyes said...

wow , awesome setup there for the washing , we are so modernized these days it is great to see that other possibilities still exist . and that kitty oHHHHHH so sweet , I wanna snuggle !
Great your soap is selling! , you certainly work hard for it , you must run on Duracells LOL

Take care

Greeneyes