Skip to main content

Thursday Ramble . . .

 

I am working on sprucing up my front porch.  Here is my new addition - a wooden porch sign.



As promised, here is my other "chicken scratch" patterned hot pad. 

 Grated Zote soap melting in a pot with water.

 The finished laundry detergent.

...made another 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent.  Making this myself has been one of our (many) best decisions - much cheaper, better on our septic, and better for our health.

Last fall, I froze my abundance of green peppers.  For some, I put them ziploc freezer bags, and for others I used glass canning jars.

The results? Well, the bags worked out perfect.  I was trying to see if I could avoid plastic bags, but they work better than the jars.  If you freeze in canning jars, line a piece of something between the rim and lid.  Air gets in there and you have a large build up of ice on your peppers.

Remember the woodpecker's nest?

Baby and Momma have come out of their nest today.  I heard a bunch of noise, and went out to check.  Mom flew over the house, and baby flew out of the nest.  Seconds after this photo, baby flew off too.

I had to laugh today.  Yesterday, while I was in my room, I heard noise just outside the doors (to outside).  Today, in that same area, is an egg one of the chickens left behind.  Right on my patio of all places.

Sickness updates:  Three of us were down yesterday by bedtime.  One went back to school, but I will be going back to bed after the last one is on her bed.  This virus is nasty this time around.  Each of us have had different symptoms.

I spent most of my day in the rocker on the porch.  Our power went out due to a car accident up the highway.  When our power goes out, we lose running water (no pump, no cooking, no anything).  It was so windy, there was no way I was going to use my grill.  We waited it out, and those who were not sick hand peanut butter sandwiches and pears.  Thankfully, it came on just before 9pm.  

We were concerned about the goat going into labor in the barn, without a light.  Our camping lanterns need new batteries.  I did dig out a string of battery operated lights.  Those are staying handy until Peanut delivers.

I better get off here before the "clean police" here catch me putting my germs on the keyboard....

Comments

GrannyAnnie said…
I am so sorry you all have this nasty virus (and nasty is an understatement). It seems to be ravaging everywhere. I do hope you all get over it quickly. I, and members of my family have had it. It also hit some of my animals and has been a nightmare!

I love your hot pad. I forgot all about being able to cross stitch on gingham.

I make my own laundry soap, too, but I quit using Zote when I learned more about its ingredients. Besides the good ingredients, it also contains fragrance, dyes, and optical brighteners. Optical brighteners survive waste water treatments, escape into our rivers, streams, lakes, etc., are toxic for the fish, plants and animals, accumulating in their bodies, and has been detected in women's breast milk. Optical brighteners cause skin sensitivities/irritations and even asthma, and a host of other ills. They work by making our clothes have the illusion of being clean. Under UV detectors, they make clothes really glow, easily picking up hunters and military (neither is at all good). It does clean well, but it has some scary stuff in it.
Hope you are feeling better soon. Glad you get to use your porch now. It is so windy and March like here. Trying to get gardening pre-work done but the wind defeats any headway I make.
Anna, what soap do you use in place of zote? I stopped using Fels Naptha due to chemicals too.
Candy C. said…
I like your new porch sign and the chicken scratch embroidery! :)
Sorry about the virus making the rounds. We have been lucky so far this year (knock on wood).
We are without water when we lose power too. It's a pain for sure!
Sam I Am...... said…
So sorry to hear you've all been sick. It's a busy time but actually Spring is the flu season as opposed to Winter which most people think is flu season.
Love your sign...did u make it? And your cross stitch is so pretty on the red gingham.
Is that a woodpecker? It looks more like a female cardinal or a junko? But what do I know? LOL! Your chicken left you a present...she likes you! TTYL!
Unknown said…
Cute sign, did you make it? Take some Vitamin D, ongoing, great for preventing infectons, and good for your bones and teeth!
Unknown said…
I used double plastic bags for freezing my home grown nectarines, worked great!
Unknown said…
Has anyone tried ivory soap instead?
GrannyAnnie said…
I have never used Ivory Soap for laundry soap, but I have heard others say that it worked pretty good. I have used up some old bars of Jergen's and it worked really well.

Kristina, did you get my last comment on here? It wasn't necessary to post it, but I was just making sure my answer to your question came through.
Anna,
I did not see a comment regarding the soap you use. I checked all comments and it's not there.

Popular posts from this blog

Chit Chat

  The pickings are slim right now, but we'll take anything we are blessed with.  I made a salad and cleaned the beans.  The rain will give us more for a meal in a day or so.  The green beans are every so slowly coming on this season. I made a batch of homemade granola, and instead of my homemade vanilla extract, I used my homemade Christmas Spice Extract.  It smelled so good in the oven, and while cooling.   I picked some purslane, and am doing an experiment with it this time.  Update soon.   Chit Chat ©  August 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

I've Been MIA and Heat Wave

First day of July.  It's hot.   I'm definitely not entering a stage of boredom any day soon.  Although I've been doing a lot, it's been productive.  We are in the middle of the worst heat wave I can ever remember.  So humid, there is very little to no work being done in the gardens for the last few days.  Heat index has been up to 106 degrees, and nights did not get any cooler than about  77 degrees.  The heat wave will continue for the rest of the week.  No rain yet. I froze water in small bottles to keep the chickens water cold, and froze treats for them. I canned a small batch of reduced sugar peach jam (before the heat  wave).  I have to admit, it's been very nice to can for two people now.   Enjoyed the last of our asparagus harvest.  The last two stalks were harvested June 29th.  The longest asparagus season we've ever had.  They look light colored, but taking them out of the fridge, they quickly...

Reminders?

      On the positive side (after the hot pepper debacle). . .                                                We are looking forward to creative healthy meals, derived from the garden and whatever is in abundance, or available.  The chickens helped supply this meal last year and was delicious. Beets roasted with onions and rosemary from the herb garden.  Also, a picture from previous garden years.  Oh, we put thyme on these too, and also from the herb garden. Not to forget those tomatoes and all the sauces made over the years.  That dish included asparagus from the garden, as well as oregano from the herb garden. Sometimes a roll down memory lane gives us the spark to keep gardening and planting.  Maybe.   Reminders?   ©  June 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart