Thank You Victory Baptist Church

for hosting such a fun and profitable craft fair! If I had known they were this much fun I would have taken part in fairs sooner! I got there a few minutes late but Diva and the girls had to have breakfast before I left and of course I had to milk. When I arrived I was greeted by Laurie and felt like I had known her forever. She did a awesome job of getting the craft fair together. I got to meet several ladies in person that are readers of the blog and fans of Ms. Diva and the girls. (Hi Ladies!) My table was in a perfect location and I sold out of some of my soaps, got special soap orders, did some trading and made lots of new friends. The soaps that I didn't think would sell alot were the ones I sold out of. The ones I thought would be the big sellers only sold a few so goes to show I don't know much. I was really surprised at how much I sold! I made a friend with the lady at the table behind me. (Hi Rae Ann) She is going to send me information about another craft fair next month. She and I did a little trading and made plans to do some more. Besides the craft fair there was a table of home baked goodies and there were hotdogs with all the trimmings. I stayed busy selling or talking that I didn't even get a hotdog and those are my favorite! I came home minus a lot of soaps and lotions but a nice chunk of change instead. I also came home with some Christmas gifts. The only bad thing was I had taken my camera but left the memory card at home. Hopefully someone will email some photos and I will share them. All in all I had a wonderful time even with my cold. I also think I have found a new church home. William and I have been looking for a small friendly church not far from home and this one has everything we have been looking for.
The goats did fine without me today though they were standing at the fence calling to me when I pulled in. No one had been out to talk to them all day or give them a treat. I fed them a little early so they are all settled down for the night. It is finally cool enough for a small fire in the stove. The rocking chair is waiting right beside the stove. The tea kettle is on and I am ready to settle in and enjoy the evening. Have a blessed weekend!

Thursday Already?

Fred was right again. No rain last night. Weatherman missed again. They are calling for thunderstorms tonight but Fred says not. I have been busy pouring candles, making fall scented soaps, cleaning the soap building, cleaning the guestroom and catching up on all the paperwork that seems to multiply when I turn my back. I am still working on the first of the weeks chores and its time to do weekend ones. Always behind but at least I never run out of things to do. Got to make a soap gift basket for a customers aunt. I love making gift baskets and this customer likes sending them as gifts so it works out for both of us.
Well the laundry is piled on the sofa waiting for me to fold and put away. Soaps are waiting to be bagged and tagged. Everyone have a nice evening. To those in the hurricanes path stay safe and know you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Cats are back inside tonight. Opened the door to bring in some wood for the fire and the cats came in too. Momma and baby kitty are on the rug in front of the fire. Groucho is on the back of the sofa asleep. Whiskers is behind the woodstove sleeping. Wild cat didn't come in tonight though it is out on the porch eating.

William is on his way to Oregon. He left out this afternoon. We got more firewood cut and he split alot. He also helped me with some soap orders, newsletters, and tags. I got a couple of local orders to get out tomorrow and some errands so going to finish up making a batch of soap and call it a night.

Kitchen is still a war zone but at least I can use the stove and sink. Have to run from kitchen to dining room to get something stored there for now or to every other room in the house to find what I need in the kitchen but so far I am dealing with it. Please oh please let it be done before Christmas!

I am working on my swap packages and hope to get them out next week. Anyone in the stocking swap that hasn't been in touch with their swap partner please let me know and I will give you a new partner.

Now I am going to enjoy a cup of cocoa and sit by the fire till my soap is ready to pour. Have a blessed night!

As much as I would love to curl up on the sofa and take a nap or finish my book I started ages ago I can't. Was under the weather a little bit yesterday and still not feeling the best but am very behind as usual. I have 6 soap orders that must get out today and Renee' from Gillis Farms called and wants 30 soaps today so that will put a big dent in my stock. The kitchen redo is undoing me. I am already bumping heads on how I want things done but dear ole Wayne agrees with me in words then goes off and does it his way. We aren't redoing our kitchen to be a modern easy one. Its going to be more of a 40's. Crazy aren't I? LOL But the point is there is more tearing out then there is building or putting in items so can't see why it can't be done the way I ask. There is a stray dog loose in the neighborhood. Two nights ago I am sure that is what scared Sammi to make her run through the electric fence. Night before last Nitro ran through the fence and really tore it up. Nitro came from a farm where a dog would go after him and bite his legs so he is very afraid of dogs. I am almost positive the stray was running and Nitro took off too. This morning the stray was trying to get the neighbors chickens. Hopefully we can catch him and have the animal control pick him up. All in all its been a crazy few days. I will be getting the swap partners together in a couple of days so if you will email me your snail mail addy and your blog addy if you have one. Have a blessed day and as you say your prayers please say a little one for me please.

This and That

Thanks so much to those taking part in the card shower. For those that want to the information is in the post below this one.

I have been so busy yet I am so far behind. I am very blessed to have my lotions and candles selling but since I just started selling them I don't have very many made ahead so I am working overtime trying to get caught up and ahead.

We are looking forward to the weekend. Melody and her family are coming down for a long weekend. The grands are almost excited as I am. We are going to make soaps for their teachers and Joseph (SIL) is going to make some candles. He loves burning candles around the house so we are going to make several he can take home. Melody and I want to go to the old navy outlet and a craft fair the church is having so we will have a busy weekend. I hope to have some baking done before they get here and since its suppose to cool down alot I am going to make a big pot of chili and a big pot of homestead stew.

William is still in Texas but hopes to be home for at least part of the weekend. He got to visit some Internet friends of ours. Sheri, Ward and Alec came to visit a couple years ago but William wasn't home. It worked out he had some free time and was able to help Ward work on the goat pen. Ward has had eye surgery and hasn't gotten his strength back yet. We are looking forward to them visiting us again in December.

I will try to get back to posting about the homestead and animals tomorrow. Robyn and Carole I finally got mail heading your way even though its late. I also have some thank yous going out in tomorrows mail along with soap orders. Thank you so much Lib!

Right now I need to get outside and feed, etc. I have to clean my soap shop as I have a blog neighbor coming to visit this weekend! Don't you just love meeting in person someone you already feel like you have known forever!

Hubby has been home and we have been busy. We cut more firewood, made a climbing tower for the goats, put up a electric fence so the goats would have lots more room to roam, raked the goat pen and did the normal everyday chores. Also had to get laundry done so William would have clean clothes as he heads for Oregon. Seems when he is home we are so rushed to get lots of things done we are so tired and sore we can't even rest good. We put the goats inside the electric fenced pasture. Diva stayed about 2 minutes then got zapped hard by the fence before going under it. Nitro wouldn't go near it as he knew what would happen. Sammi stayed in for about 30 minutes before getting zapped as she went under. William fixed the spot where they were going under and they spent the day grazing and relaxing. The boys touched their noses to the fence and now they won't leave the pasture. I unhooked the fence to let the goats go back into their pen and all went in but the boys. They would walk up to where I had unhooked it but wouldn't come on out. I walked in and showed them and even tried to walk them out but they wouldn't budge! So guess they will spend the night in the pasture. They have food and water so will be fine. Diva and Sammi need a break from them anyway and I could use the extra milk to catch up on soap and cheese orders. Been working on soap orders for 3 days and still not caught up. I am also making goat lotions and goats milk candles for my etsy shop. Getting that done and trying to get everything done around here has me behind in blogging. I will be back with animal photos and stories tomorrow... I promise. Have a great night and count those blessings!!!

Worked on some of my fall scented soaps today and also restocking my other soaps. Got one more day of making soap and I should be caught up for awhile. I also made a chocolate soap! Smells so good I want to eat it.

Went out to feed and water this morning and found 2 of the teen rabbits out of their pen. I figured they had finally dug their hole so deep they got out. I checked everywhere and cannot find where they got out. Their hole hasn't been dug to the outside of the pen. There are no holes anywhere around the wire or on the outside of the pen. The funny thing is one of the rabbits is trying to figure how to get back in. The other went to the chicken pen and is content living a chicken's life. I will put him back in tomorrow along with the other one. Just didn't have time to catch them today.

I am late wishing 3 very special grandchildren happy birthday. Gabby, Quintin and Justin though I gave you birthday wishes on the phone on your birthday I didn't post a birthday wish. So here is a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love you all and can't wait for you to come visit over Christmas break. PopPop and I feel old when you have birthday's so don't grow up too fast okay!
It has been a humid day here but I was determined to leave the AC off. Got kinda warm making soap but I would take breaks and sit on the porch. Tonight is suppose to be cool and tomorrow calls for cool weather and rain! Think I will take a shower and finish up in the kitchen. Hope your day was over flowing with blessings.

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!