It rained, it hailed, I’m boring – The End.
Thats about how exciting my blog is going to be today haha
The wind hit some crazy level – somehow trees still standing.
So… not much super dooper was going on.
Sharon dropped in and we happily talked soap until she had to go and collect her daughter.
Cousin Jeff dropped in and gave us a loan of his rotary hoer and I am MEGA excited to have a go (hope weather is ok tomorrow! Will dig everything in sight!)
Another friend who does cool arty stuff with beach glass and pottery dropped in to grab some things I had collected to make use of in her work.
So – you might ask why Pip is sitting there with socks on his head?
Jeff was getting ready to go out on a short river hike despite the weather – Pip was just sitting there. So Jeff threw a sock on him.
Pip didn’t bat an eyelid.
So he threw the second sock.
Still Pip maintained the extreme ‘I don’t care’ attitude.
In fact, finally he turned around and settled in, socks and all.
Daft cat.
Latest soaps –
Love Spell!! The fragrance is light and sweet – I thought I should go for the pinks and purples.
Meyer Lemon. I like the way all the swirls happened on this one… side bottom and middle!
Love cutting…
I also made up a double batch of lavender… the colours were a lot softer than I planned… but never mind.
Lavender was so popular at the last market, so figured it was good to have a decent stash on hand.
Lastly, yesterday I made a loaf of English Rose.
I cut it today but haven’t taken photos.
Again – the colour was supposed to be ‘Dusky Rose’
Its very subtle.
Looking forward to the upcoming markets. Fingers crossed to sell heaps. I need room in the library!!
So…
Back to Pip.
He is trying to get attention.
“Pip – No!!”
“I mean it!! NO!! Cats don’t belong on the tallboy”
“Stop right there Mister!!”
(Cat sprints and leaps onto tallboy and settles in)
“Fine!!”
(Note to self… pleased we had no children – their behaviour, based on our inability to discipline our cat – would have been hideous)
Honestly, at his age (I think about 11) we are pleased he still has the zip and zing to play up and leap up tall furniture in a single bound and tease us as he KNOWS the things he shouldn’t be doing.
Mind you – just note that smug look!! Little brat!
Cheers!
“Rotary hoer ,” think that’s what here in the US is called a rototiller. Story to share re rototiller. They are gas powered here, and the Amish keep to their early 19 Century ways. Gas engines are not used, i.e. they still travel in horse drawn buggies. But some will use equipment owned by non-Amish. A friend hired some Amish men to do some major outdoor work which included using a rototiller. Things were ok until someone discovered that the wheels were made of plastic. Plastic touching the growing soil definitely not allowed. Putting their heads together, they came up with a solution: wooden wheels! The ground was tilled with a wooden wheeled rototiller.
Hello – to be honest I might have made that name up… haha – I’ll have to check. Such an interesting story re the Amish. I wonder if it gets harder and harder to stick to the very old ways? I do like the way people can wrap their brains around unique problems and adjust.
With families of 10 to 15 children, don’t think the faith will die out. However, the old order or stricter groups do lose children to the “English.” The more liberal groups seem not to lose as many children. Unlike the many families where the wealth/property gets spread around to all the children, in the Amish faith, the oldest boy inherits the family farm. The rest must provide for themselves. Sometimes when its time to disperse the family farm, there will be a closed auction. Only family members and close family friends are invited to attend. That way, items are spread around the siblings. Its an interesting life, and depending upon your views a very rich one or a very deprived and harsh one.
Thanks so much for the overview… I’ve been meaning to have a stroll through google! I could imagine why the older/stricter groups would lose kids. It would be so hard to see what you are missing out on if you are struggling – to give yourself wider options in this world.
But I will have a read because its totally fascinating to see how a group continues to live such a different lifestyle in such a modern commercialised world!
There are two other interesting groups here that don’t receive the same interest as the Amish. The Huguenots are French Calvinists. While they have their own communities, they aren’t as resistant to modern conveniences. Then there are the Mennonites. They often are mixed up with the Amish, but they can and do own cars etc.
Countryside here can be rather interesting, and not just the geographical difference.