One Woman's Weeds...

Look what I just gathered from our yard.  Wild winter weeds!  Chickweed, cleavers and wild carrot are excellent for skin care, among other things.  So what do I plan to do with all this leafy green goodness?  Make our juicy Wild Weeds Body Balm, that's what.  After wilting the freshly picked weeds for a few hours, we infuse them in organic extra virgin olive oil on very low heat for a day or two. Be sure to tie them up in a pantyhose leg first...(that's about the ONLY thing that pantyhose are good for!) The gorgeous emerald oil is then incorporated into our healing body balm recipe.

I think this is my favorite balm because there's something deeply satisfying about gathering your own wild medicinals.  And when many other herbs lie dormant, the winter weeds are at their very finest!  You won't see any Roundup being used in these parts.  Because one woman's weeds are another woman's treasures!

The Soap Shrine

Here it is. The soap shrine. That sacred place where I stash all the soaps I've collected over the last 15 years. Well maybe not ALL of them. Sometimes they get too gooey & gross and I have to toss 'em. But I always pause and pay due respect mind you. After all, each of these soaps has a special memory attached to it. Some of them are like old familiar friends.

There's the handmade spool doll carrying a tiny basket of soaps that I got at our very first Texas Soapmakers Assn. barn gathering (there were cows!), the beautiful stained glass soap made by my good friend Margie, the fancy (evil?) hotel soaps I got at the HSMG conferences, the unbelievable melt and pour snow globe soap, the guardian angel soap that's been protecting our soap shop for many years, and one of my favorites...the Yakity Yak Don't Talk Back Soap made with real yak tallow! And that just scratches the surface. I have about 75-100 soaps in there at any given time. What can I say? I love soap.

But it's not just soap in there either. There's a small collection of soap dishes, an antique Fels Naptha soap grater, an Old Spice shaving mug with a worn badger hair shaving brush, plus a set of metal measuring spoons that belonged to my grandmother that I used when I first started making soap. Jory loved this one rubber soapmaking spatula so much that he threw that in there too when it broke. Soap shrines will do that to ya. If it's meaningful, it belongs there.

But what's that gorgeous bottle at top left?   Oh that. Well... that's an empty bottle of Root liquor. We DO manufacture the custom soap that matches it. Besides, we have to keep those memories flowing somehow! ;o)

Movin' On Up

I finally got to visit our little munchkin again today! My cough had taken a turn for the worse so I had to stay away for another whole week. Damn near killed me! (The stayin' away part, not the cough...although that definitely took its toll too.) Anyway, Caden is movin' on up. That's all that matters. At 12 days he weighs 3 lb. 14 oz.! Keep up the good work little man & you'll be home before you know it.

Soap for Haiti

I can't even begin to know the fear, the pain, the loneliness, and the heartache the Haitian people are experiencing right now.  My heart goes out to them. But I do know, that among other things, they're going to need soap in the coming months.  Lots of soap!  Even with adequate food and water people will die from illness due to poor sanitation and lack of soap. 

Since soap is what we do best, that's where A Wild Soap Bar has decided to concentrate our relief efforts.  Besides donating to the Red Cross and to Doctor's Without Borders yesterday, we're sending 200 bars of our handmade soap to Clean The World today, along with a monetary donation that will provide 500 families with soap for a month.  We're also making a New Year's Resolution to do this every quarter from here on out.  If we all donate something, no matter how large or small, we can help end the suffering and reach out to our brothers and sisters around the world.  The need is great.  Please help if you can.

The Perfect Little Elf

Caden Michael Hanus was born 7 1/2 weeks prematurely on Jan. 5 and to tell you the truth, I haven't gotten much done ever since. Why? Because I can't stop staring at his precious perfect little elf self! All 3 and half pounds of him! Look at those tiny little ears.

Oh I've somehow managed to ship a few packages, answer a few phone calls, type a few invoices... but my heart's not in it. In between trips to the hospital, I find myself constantly going back to his photographs to oooh and aahh just a little bit more over him. I guess that's what proud grandparents do, huh.

Both of us have lingering colds right now, so we haven't been able to go into the IC Unit to meet him in person yet. I suppose we're being punished for past wrong doings or something. Life can be so cruel sometimes.

But we're elated that he's doing so well after his emergency C section...(and really really glad that scary part's over!)  He's breathing & eating on his own now.  He's a strong little booger and he continues to improve each day. We know he's going to grow up to do incredible things.

Hugs to you little Caden. Granny & Grandpa will be there soon! xoxoxoxo