Homemade laundry soap

laundry soap link

ran out of soap today

Went to my laundry room Pantry "Store"

Grabbed a bar, borax and the washing soda....

half and hour latter....

Continues the laundry...

did not even have to leave the house, no gas costs the best of all worlds...

last batch was in July not too shabby

The bottles are recycled OJ containers.
I just love the OJ for it is not from concentrate and I have a nice clear bottle
The bottles are not filled to top for the process will still thicken and I will want to add more water after it cools the rest of the way.

The old bottles are being retired.
They served well over three uses, don't want to advertise anymore.:)

Here a tip slip...

save those little tops from water bottles and dish soap bottles in a baggie.
When you get a good buy on a soap that only has a screw on...
Walla! now you'll have a pour top.
Good for many uses.
The old water bottle ones are great for little ones in the car.
Just buy twist off if you must buy water and keep a pop top for travel

Tackle it Tuesday

Over the weekend we swapped the two beds so we could put the bed up on the platform. We have had the platform bed but my daughter did not feel at ease to use it.

So we had to give her Dash's bed and Dash her frame so that we could do this.

Both bedrooms are undone now.

Daddy man had to remove the cieling fan from Dash's room and swap it out with the ceilinf light in Doves room.

Now Dove has a fan and she loves it!

Dash has a clean room but he will tell you it is because all of his stuff is still in the hall.

We had two unexpected kids drop by and poor old Daddy man was just spent...he looks up and sees two more children...we are mother/father of many.

We still have doves room and all the toys in the hall and all the laundry!!!!!

The last the butternut was cut today and the scrap for the hens and the compost.

The veggies got neglected on the counter so the hens will love them.

The scrap in the wooden bowl for the dogs and the other two are coffee grounds and pealings from the squash for the compost.

The kitchen to get finnished.

The egg shells on the dish will be ground for the hens or the tomato plants.

The studio begs to be set into action with many things in the process.

Gardening and decor projects.

The binder to the upper left is for the home decor color pallet

The book open to the Leaf Miner page oh arg those little pests on the squash and now the tomato

Seeds to get planted soon and coffee ready to sip in the garden.

click on any image to enlarge.

The garden plotting completed this week shows all location and what is growing and to be yet planted.

I am companion planting.

This took some time and a master has been kept running with up dates.

This is at the stage we are at.

Dogs to be fed each morning and watered

Chickens to be feed pellets and watered.

The scrap form the kitchen a thrill they all vie for the best spot.

Happy carpenter bee in the pumpkin and several squash have been pollinated

another day with an extra child and Archer sits writing her fictional story.

She had me up again at 3 am...my girl friend uses the melatonin time release as do I but she gives one a little earlier. Sometimes kids that have sensory issues just can not sleep. Dove feels like she is free floating and if there is any other stress than forget me trying to get my sleep regulated. I stopped even trying. The medication the neurologist gave me is no use I can not use it for If I did I would just feel worse from being forced from my sleep by dove. This happens a lot.

The kids had a snack and played until noon.

 

Archer (Doves) new color pallet for her bedroom.

The sheets are the bright violet.

He other set was two years old and worn out.

We went togeather  and she has now let go of the red/black/ gray pallet she had before in mind.

I can only begin to tell you how pleased I am about that.

She wants large geometric squares of all the different colors all over the walls.

OH this is a job!

and a bit of an expense so I will have to do a little at a time.

The Simple Womans Day Book

FOR TODAY...October 12th

Outside my window... Hot and cloudy, garden is growing with the bees humming.

I am thinking... I am in love with being a wife and homemaker. What a fun life. Even when it is hard I have no "big brother" looking over my shoulder.

I am thankful for... The life of a husband that prays with me.

I am wearing... My mothers apron, a plum sleeveless top that has an umpire waiste. knee length shorts that are of denim. My feet are shoeless, touching the earth below me grounded in the beauty of the reality of life. Pearl ear wires that have cz shining above the pearl

I am remembering... How often I once commented and interacted with all of you. Setting the garden took me away from blogging for a season...I once set that goal of having an extintion to the garden now that goal is all but met.

I am going... To enjoy my children home all week. It is fall break the timing is perfect! Travel to the bloggers retreat is next week so wonderful to spend every day with them before I go.

I am reading...Eldala yet for little reading time of late, also doing study on gardening, decor and child development.

I am hoping... to fill up the cup of those around me that I so love. Encourage those who need it. rest and comfort my own soul as well...as need. To enjoy each moment I have breadth.

On my mind...  Laundry and a clean home. My beloved will walk in the door soon and my heart leaps at the thought. I just want to hold him and bask in the richness of his fellowship. I have a supper for all of us.

From the learning rooms... all is quiet it is fall break. Dash is writing a fictional diary of WWII soldiers.

Noticing that... with a pre teen removing the battle allows her to change her mind. When I let go of the refusal of the red under gray with a 2" black stripe....she now choose of HER own free will a wonderful pink turquoise lavender palate YE-PEE  I think if I would of pushed her not too she would of had to of given me a fight for it. She is growing up now into that need for independence. She sure has a good Daddy. He really helps me to let go just enough to allow her wing growth.

Pondering these words... "mom I am afraid for my friend and her Mother that they are gonna have hard times...do you think that she might ever need to live with us?"

From the kitchen... A choice of cod or steak...peas, mixed corn and carrot or tomato raw

Around the house... floors need attention. children happily playing at the end of a school free day. Now no more school for the rest of the week fall break. Voices and ideas and games shared...just wonderful.

One of my favorite things~ listening to my children

From my picture journal...

Calling all Angles

In the night called to pray.

Please join Steve and I as we pray for the parents of our dear Amy.

Holding the Orphin no more...

Barron woman sixteen years

Holding the orphan no more.

Hearts one.

This child held Mothers thumb

as on train home from Russia

Tender hearts beating as in a womb.

Daughter snuggles so close and adores her.

Whispers mother...

you are mine I am yours

I belong to you and you to me.

Warmth... her breadth takes time back.

Seven months left wanting that tiny lonely babe.

Watching as workers would passed her by.

Oh how many longing days years passed.

Wanting someday to hold her. This babe alone.

So late in the night mother is still

beside her half grown daughter.

Holding this spiritual infant.

Just as she so longed to do

healing wounds shared common.

There is nothing more

She would rather do.

Distract her not not even in thought

for all of her is present.

Under the wing her child rests.

Both are more than every one blessed

Greater love

never seen.

Barren mother of many.

Holding her orphan no more.

A Holy God HAS evened the score.

by Donetta

Date Night

My Sweet Little Boy.

The school bell rang and there sitting on the bench in front of the door sat I.
Dash soon bounded out among all the masses with Archer in tow he flung his arms around me and said
"I knew you would come"
He was a little regressed at the end of this week.
All the action in the neighborhood I think.
He had his back pack ready...this an old pack of Daddy man.

With the kids at a sleep over...

I made two stops before I got home...

I flew in the door once I notice Steve came home early.

Loved it that he was home but I had not showered or made the meal.

So I sent him to the shower set the meal.

I told him that the kitchen was off limits and went to go shower and get changed.

It was really sorta fun trying to rush about and get it all done.

I was going to broil a cod fillet but we had plenty and the light cool supper was really a treat.

I made a raspberry vinaigrette for the salad.

Lemon sorbet for desert.

We rarely have wine but I got a bottle of pinion? it was a white bubbly.

I used the cork screw to open it as the carbonation hissed out...it was a screw top:) hahah

Shows how often we imbibe.

So candle light on the porch served I a dinner.

Just Steve and I.

Steve surprised me with the camera...blog life.
We had desert in the garden watching the hens. You know they really are a peaceful thing to watch.
I gave my beloved a garden tour showing him the fruits already on the vine.
(veggies at it were)

We went over to drop off Archers bedding and then stopped to see what was at the picture show.

We walked up to the marquee with the masses and then we just walked away from it all to just be us.

We stopped at a store called Harbor Freight...it was funny me in a red dress in a hardware store looking at cool tools and gardening gear. You might not know but mechanical things are really interesting to me and I love quality or helpful equipment and tools.

Steve and I really have that in common. See we laugh because this was our date or a part of it.

I really enjoyed seeing this cool store that my dear man wanted to show me.

He was thinking of my heart and my interest different than others yes, but a common ground for us.

I found a nice jewelers pliers that I needed and a eye glass clip on magnifying loop it has 3x and 5x lenses.

We chose to go to a wal-mart and buy a movie and snacks and go home.

Now this is amazing!

As we pulled up to the house we saw the reflection of our labs eyes as he sat sentinel on the curb of the sidewalk in front of the house!!!!!!!!

Somehow the gate was open?

He did not run away he just sat there waiting for us to come home.

Our Golden was inside the fence too.

Steve found a bag of dog dung on the side yard?

Perhaps someone walking there dog threw it at him?

We hung out and watched a movie together and enjoyed each other the snacks and the evening. 

With no story time or bed time children s rituals we simply stood up and went to bed...so easy.

We just simply choose to go to bed, no sweet daughter knocking at the door at 3 a.m.

It was so strange not to have any interruptions.

Finishing sentences is a lost art when we are with the children.

With Dash having a hearing loss and Dove well we just have to reinforce and reinforce...

seems to make little to no difference.

I will be standing in a room and all three of them will speak to me at the same time.

Daddy man usually gets higher rank unless there is a crisis.

Well with kids there is always a crisis. :)

It was nice to sit together and enjoy the evening.

We even slept in...

As we awoke we had several minute of prayer time  this as I lay there arm in arm with him and with Abba was the highlight I think. We just thought of the concerns and laid out them one by one over and over, it was just the best!

We just relaxed for the longest time spoke nothing of work or chores to be done.

Kept silent of tasks..until I remembered the kids would be home in a hour or so and the chickens were out of food.

I was so looking forward to my sis of the heart friend to come and bring home the children so she could stay a while and visit, see the gardens and listen to her new novel plot.

She is a writer. A self published girl.

I am so proud of you, one her sequel now.

ELDALA

Great read! available on Amazon

Well....chickens were hungry no feed.

So we had to take a run to the feed lot before the kids got home.

When we came back and emptied the bags and fed the critters...

a message on the phone left me to realize that my friend who had been sleepless...well she was tired and unable to stay when she was to come to bring home the kids...(I wanted to be with her. :( boo hoo

So with the kids at her place overnight and her tired we opted to go fetch the children.

On the way home sweet Dash was in a crash...he was starving like the kids in India just dieing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sarcasm) I think he had some sugar in the morn and with his metabolism burned it off in an instant.

The boy was also so tired...sleep over is a miss nomer they really don't sleep much ya know.

Steve and I took them for a privilege to the wal-mart to get a subway sandwich they have a $5 foot long. Well we more than got the money worth that girl made a sandwich of a hungry child's dreams.

Dash ate the whole thing!!!!!!

Dove Archer ate 3/4 of hers and chips too and they split a can of soda.

They are sleepy sluggish souls lazing about like every child in the world should have the opportunity to do every now and again.

I just found that cool feature to play with color

:)

God's got my back!!!!!!!!!

My heart is beating so fast!!!!!!!!!!

Now girls ya gotta know I'm the one who always locks the doors, and is very attentive to safety details.

I am sitting at the kitchen table reading through the mail. I hear a real soft knock at the door like a friend would do.
So I go to the front door
(I NEVER OPEN IT)
and see that the door was not locked from when I walked the kids to the stop.

Well I reached up and locked the bolt and looked through the window to a man asking if I had work for him to do...I said no...or any donations he continues...I declined. He then said thank you and as he turned he saw what I was seeing behind him.

A police officer getting out of the patrol car and approaching.

He sited the guy.

The guy had no ID even.

So I call Steve and tell him "something so cool just happened"!

As I do there is a firm knock on the door it was the officer.

I declared my thanks that he had my back that my door had been left unlocked (because I had gone through the gate to take something to the garden from the truck).

The officer said

"Do you know your garage is wide open!?"

OH MAN! 

I had left the garage door open when I came back from the neighbors with some tree limbs for the garden, the truck was even open! tail gate and all!

Oh I thanked him for watching my back.

I thanked him again for last week the guy that got caught. He told me it was a nightmare of paper work for the burglar last week his heart stopped beating! That one was so hyped up on drugs.

There has been a rash of burglaries in my neighborhood the officer told me.
I thought it was just the cars being broken into ...
They are going in through open garages and the officer has been going driving around telling folk to close the garages. I saw the patrol car this week after the bus got the kids.
The burglaries are happening in the morning.

The officer said he was following this guy watching him this morning!

GOD GOT MY BACK!!!!!!!

I know it is no surprise in that yes He always has my back oh girls...

God had my back.

I won't even go there the even think of what could of happened because it did not  because

GOD HAD MY BACK!

One of my greatest fears is that having this memory issue would endanger me. Now everyone anyone could of forgotten like me this morning.

But GOD HAS MY BACK!!!!!!!!!

I am just so happy!!!!

So very grateful!!!!!!!!!!

I just thought I had a kid young man do the same thing yesterday trying to get me to sponsor him. 
I did not open the door to him either. 
This is getting to be a daily thing.
We are in a very nice community near a area of a more desperate population.

I am one of maybe two or three who are home in the daytime.

 

Agile Archer and her red framed glasses

In answer to my hearts prayer along side my daughter has come a new friend.

A friend who like Archer (Little Dove grew up) wears reading glasses.

She asked of me to take her to the drug store. She has a pair of perscription reading glasses.

I learned after paying a lot for them that the drug store readers are fine. She is at a 1.5 magnification.

She is so happy!!!!!!!

I had her use her allowance and covered her the other 2/3's of it.

She hugged me with such gratitude.

You know there is something powerful about

a new pair of red framed glasses.

Archer needs to feel the power of who she is.

This is a real good thing.

The little girl we have been showing hospitality has become a "firendemy".

Archer was betrayed...She was really having a hard week.

Tonight she shines...Oh the beauty of it.

My daughter the most valuable gem.

Thankful Thursday

Well now here it is 5 p.m.

The timers set to go off in a moment for Archer to be finished with her reading...

She changed books! I am so glad of it. I was not pleased with what she was reading and she read enough of it I guess to agree. I am thankful for my husbands leadership.

Supper is in the oven and it will be ready to pull out around the time he gets home.

Stamina...what a wonderful gift.

The meat loaf sounds pretty good too.

We have a meal to look forward too...how wonderful.

It has been a 5 line day...how wonderful it is to have a five line clothes line. The strength to hang it all and put it all away. My bones were tired today very much so and yet I am made able to do the things around here that are needful. Laundry has been set on hold to get the crops in the earth.

Paperwork day...Being able to read...how often we might think this a small thing. I heard of a father who read to his children every night...the same book. One night the Mother read the story in his absence..."the children declared that is not the story as Dad reads it mom"!

Dad was telling a story via the illistration....they all discovered that he could not read.

Oh so much paper work today stacks of it!

It is now managed and doable. yet many forms to fill out...

the life of mother with a special needs kids.

Now while taking the image I became profoundly greatful for humor...

Dash "fell of a cliff and he is dead"

I found such beauty in my little boy.

Covered in dirt...trying not to show that he is alive.

The children playing in the garden leave me a bit out of ease.

I am thankful for trust...that they want to play in the garden...

It is an imaginary jungle fraught with adventure and suspense...

Oh please Lord watch over the garden

:)

the children are in it.

Oh it is good to trust in the Lord...

so the children can be children

Let me get this straight.

...we're going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it,
passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it,
to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes,
with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes,
all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese,  
and financed by a country that's nearly broke.

What could possibly go wrong?

written by Maxine