This morning I unmolded the goat's milk soap. This was the Martha Stewart recipe with Crisco. I was eager to see how it would turn out; it popped out of the molds very easily. I have learned to be patient, and to let the soap completely harden. The center one was one that I tested too early. I will keep it as a sample.
I finished up the article on knowing your type for Dance Magazine this afternoon. I added my editor's changes, and included a few small tweaks of my own. I am really exited about this piece. It's advice that I believe will help dancers pursuing a career on stage. I will post a link here, once it's published.
A raccoon got into my homegrown artichokes the other night. He or she decimated three quarters of the stalks and flowers on my largest plant. I chopped them up and threw them into the compost bin. Gardening has so many unexpected challenges. Oh well. "Win a few, lose a few," as my Aunt Mary used to say...
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Ohhh cheeky raccoon!
ReplyDeletewe get possums & rats doing damage here & lately it's been big ground hopping birds! the buggers pulled all the small crops out of the polystyrene boxes at the markets!
that is a gorgeous flower!
gardening is full of challenges; love the saying & it's so true!
thanx for sharing
We get those, too. Yes, the artichoke flower is spectacular. Thanks.
DeleteYour soaps are beautiful- as always 😊 You might contact fish and wildlife and see if they can loan you a live trap to set for the raccoon. If caught, they can relocate it. It will keep coming back and will find your chickens too. We recently had to trap one that had been getting our chickens. They are such destructive creatures.
ReplyDeleteHi Lady Locust, Yes, I know what they can do to chickens. Mine are safe. The coop has a brick floor, and is very secure. It may have been a possum. I'm not sure. I've seen one hanging upside down by his tail in the poplar tree. They are so comical.
ReplyDeleteAh-the ups and downs of gardening! We have been battling ground squirrels all spring and summer. Years ago we had a raccoon problems but we have not seen any around lately. They would carefully peel the mandarin oranges leaving the peel on the tree without any fruit.
ReplyDeleteI have to ask-what is the mold picture on the soaps at the top of the photo?
Hi Anita, I know what you mean about the ground squirrels. That's funny about the raccoon leaving the peel on the tree. Very systematic. The top soaps are a hen with her eggs. I think they're cute for Spring.
ReplyDeleteOh-I see it now!!!
DeleteI love hens and eggs.
DeleteYou have the most beautiful soap molds, Stephenie. I think they are so lovely! Gardening is a bit like that, joys and sorrows, but that's part of things. Last year, the brassicas I planted did really well, this year not so great. The spinach and the silverbeet have made up for it though! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Meg. I got them at Milky Way Molds online. They're really good quality. Everyone compliments me on them. It's tempting to buy more, but I try to appreciate and use the ones that I have. Sorry about your brassicas, but I'm happy to hear that the other veggies made up for it. There are still several artichoke flowers. They are spectacular.
DeleteI always think your soaps look so beautiful and pure. What a pretty flower, shame about the raccoon xx
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl, Thank you. I keep my soaps pretty simple. I love a beautiful mold and a pleasing fragrance. The molds do the work for me. Pure soaps are such a treat.
ReplyDelete