Martinmas Lanterns and Laundry Soap

The lack of posting lately is due to busy nights sewing in the basement studio. My goal was to make as much as I could to sell at a local festival so that I would have money for Christmas Presents. Well I did alright and  managed to get enough homemade items from local vendors to fill the Advent Calendar for the boys. Pictures to come later as the Advent Calendar I completed last year comes to life again.

We have been busy during the day as well.

preparing Sammy's eggs for our breakfast

Beside the daily unfreezing of the chicken water, collecting of one egg, and general observation, we have had quite a bit of fun holding and caring for our chickens.

For Martinmas the boys made Lanterns from old applesauce jars, wire, glue, and tissue paper.
They were beautiful on the table and for the Lantern walk at our local Waldorf School.

Making Laundry Soap:

Then we returned the new box grater I purchased to make laundry soap back to the kitchen and pulled out the best grater I have every used.

 My dear friend passed this down from her mother's home.  It was once used to make a great deal of bread crumbs and grated cheese.  But now it emits the lovely smell of tea tree from the soap and makes the perfect size and texture of soap for our laundry mixture.
This was fun to crank, to smell, to feel in the bowl, but not so much in cleaning up off the floor beneath.

Laundry Soap Recipe:

Two 4oz bars Tea Tree Oil Soap grated

1 cup baking soda

2 cups washing soda

2 cups Borax

mix well and store in a glass jar.

Chicken Day

I was like a child at Christmas this past Sunday morning.

The early risers awoke the slumbering big guys with: "It's Chicken Day, It's Chicken Day!!!!"

I know it is silly and I also know that some out there understand. 

 I have wanted to raise chickens for a long time.

It isn't really the desire to care for more beings or clean up more poop.

I think the desire to raise chickens is similar to the experience of the garden: creating a relationship with the land; a relationship that teaches, shapes and feeds (in more ways than one) you.

I also really like the idea of having pets that we can observe and love.

So here is the beginning of our Chicken Chronicles:

So-Mo 

Sammy the lover and wanderer
She laid an egg on her first full day here!