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I am Sandra - faithful steward. listener. shepherd. dream believer. hard worker. collects brass bells, boots. Jesus follower. contented. star gazer. homemaker. farmer. prayer warrior. country woman. reader. traveler. writer. homebody. living life large.

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Hand Made Soap!

I dearly love handmade soap. Oh sure, I use bath wash but it's just to make my hand made soap last longer -grin-. By hand made, I mean s.o.a.p. made with water, lye and fat; doesn't have to have smell good stuff included but it's a bonus if it does. I used to make soap but buying lye became an onerous chore...those dratted druggies use it to make some sort of bath tub drug so lye and other common household goods have gone the way of the blue goose.  I feel a rant coming on... 

I am a firm believer in the power of work...hard work, physical work, actual labor that causes a body to sweat and feel muscles not felt in years, if not decades. Then, at day's end a good, hot shower, clean jammies and bed all go a long way toward healthful, restorative sleep so one can get up and do it all over again in the morning. I don't want to hear crap like, "drugs are a disease" because they aren't and that's a lie. Drugs are a choice, a bad choice, and as long as the stupid government is making it easy for people to have access to drugs, stupid people will do drugs. rant almost over... Furthermore, if a person receives government aid, why aren't they doing community work for the privilege of the rest of us keeping their lazy arse in food, shelter, clothing, cell phones and air conditioners? When I see girls and women who are having their umpteenth baby because a baby is worth $3,000 a month, I want to do worse than head slap 'em; I want my tax dollars used for tubal ligation and not baby upkeep. And, lest you think I'm prejudiced, I want my tax dollars to also pay for a vasectomy for the "baby daddy" dear Lord, how the language suffers! and, as soon as the birth mother is able, I want her and the birth father doing community service. I also do not want to hear any crap about "self esteem" which, clearly, they don't have if they are busy having babies simply for the government check! 
I'm not talking about people who have very real health problems but when I see people using food stamps or, worse, selling their food stamps so they can have drug money, I want to head slap 'em! I also want to head slap people who are on government disability checks but, somehow, find the strength to still farm or have landscape businesses and want to be paid "in cash" because it's better that way. I receive at least one phone call every summer from someone who wants to sell me their window a.c. for $20 or $25 because Social Services is giving them another one. Yes, I do try and explain why that's wrong and, yes, I'm also tempted to buy that a.c. but, like Dave and I used to say, don't argue with stupid people. First, they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.  rant over, for the time being - grin.

Anyhoo, for years, I've been singing the praises of lye soap and some folks have found it excellent for skin problems like psoriasis, eczema and chilblains which caused Dave tremendous suffering. In cold weather, his fingers would crack open and bleed until he began washing with hand made soap. Whenever possible, I'd make or buy soap that used olive oil as the fat base and it would restore moisture to his poor hands which, in turn, would begin to heal as the olive oil also provided a barrier. 
A blog friend, Cyndi, makes home made soap...correction, Cyndi makes fabulous home made soap and her blog Farmgirl Cyn features not only her soap but also her ointments and salves, laundry soap, teas and infusions and salts and rubs. Recently, Cyndi sent five wonderful bars of hand crafted soap which have added greatly to the pleasure factor around here. Yes, perhaps you've noticed there are only four bars...one bar is pressed into use and there's really not that much left to photograph. smile
I heartily recommend visiting Cyndi; she's been a treat and a prayer warrior, standing in the gap for me, since Dave's death. She allowed God to speak to her heart when I most needed someone to intercede for me; may God bless her greatly for her obedience and during a time of life that saw her and her family in dire circumstances as well. I do realize there's a lot of bad "stuff" on the blog but there's also a lot of good "stuff". I'm reminded of Joseph when he told his brothers, "you meant it for evil but God worked it for good." That's the blog in a nutshell; it can, and does, contain evil but God uses His people to do His will for good in a world, too often, gone frosty with cold. Bless His name forever!

Blessings ~ Farmgirl Cyn ~ farm fresh lye soap  ~hand crafted good things ~ 

16 comments:

  1. I hope there is room for more than one person to stand up there on your soapbox, cause I'm with you on your views. You can buy lye at Lowe's but they don't put a lot out on the shelves.

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  2. My daughter's made soap in the past - and very good it is too! However, thanks to the blasted EU she cannot sell it without a hefty/expensive licence assuring quality control! Shame - it would supplement her meagre income; since she virtually lost the sight in one eye after a detached retina she's had to give up her job as a medical librarian and for a while was working part-time as a filing clerk. The pay was a pittance, but because she was working at all she didn't qualify for government benefit. She was advised to give up buying her own property and rent somewhere, having a baby would also be an advantage to her - then the coffers of state funding would be open to her!

    Thankfully a small inheritance has given her a 'breathing space' to seek freelance work from home - but not selling her handmade soap, it would seem!

    The world/society has indeed gone mad!

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  3. I am with you on the soap box. When TJ was first diagnosed and could no longer work we lost about 70% of our income. I asked him to go apply for food stamps to help us out. It killed him to have to do it. I told him that he worked hard his whole life and had paid for it. We truly were in need for a short time. To me, that is what those programs are for....temporary assistance when needed, not to live on permanently!

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  4. I love homemade soap! I always try and buy some on vacation as my "souvenir". One of these days I will try my skill as making some....

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  5. Are you sure we're not related ... ?? :) Your Soap Box sure sounds like mine. Another thing the Welfare crowd do is "borrow" each others kids when applying for "aid", then send them home after the review. It's disgusting, shameful, sinful, and degrading to all who participate in such a lie. That's why Socialism is a failure and should be flushed down the toilet of history.

    Rant (temporarily) over.

    About the actual soap, I like handmade too but sans the perfume. I can't take perfumy stuff. Kinda gags me. I even buy laundry soap that has NO smells. Ok, so I'm boring in that department but in defense maybe it's because I like to hunt and people odors work against one when hunting deer.

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  6. I adore Cindy! I've been following here for a couple of years now. And I also adore her soap! I have one of her bars in my shower at this very moment, as a matter of fact. I need to order some more before this one is gone.

    Bless you for promoting her business. And I will glad you help you paddle some of those lazy people who live off the government and our hard earned money, LOL.

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  7. Sounds like you are preachin to the choir again - those of us who are your readers understand - approach us Conservative, Christians with great caution - 'cause if you ask - we will respond. The days of sitting back waiting for the cooler heads, wise governing people are over - none were found.
    Always so funny how people equate lye soap with harsh - just the opposite once saponification has taken place. One of the many cool things of chemistry!

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  8. Hi Sandra! I have to be honest, when I saw the title "Home Made Soap!", I clicked on it immediately hoping to find the recipe and directions for how to make it myself. I kept reading the social commentary and looking for the directions. I had to giggle when the post informed me how to buy it. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  9. I love going back to hand soap in a bar. It has really improved my hands since I quit using the anti-bacterial soap in a bottle all the time.

    They are much softer and less callused since I am in the garden so much! We even have a pet soap for the dogs in a bar when we bathe them!

    I totally agree it is the way to go! I am off to visit Cyndi's site now,
    Smiles, Cyndi( another Cyndi)

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  10. I love homemade soaps too, have even done a post or two on it in the past!

    And I agree with you whole heartedly!

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  11. Preach it sistah! I'm with you on the community service. What a novel idea. Why doesn't this catch on? Love the idea of homemade soaps. I'm sure it's much better for the skin, too.

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  12. I love homemade soaps. I'm going to head on over and check out your links.

    As far as your rant goes, I agree with you 100% and our government should have them working to earn that money!!!! Sickening.....

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  13. Interesting post! I am all for helping those who need it, but we have created a monster and it won't be easy to slay it. I wonder if anyone in government really wants to. God created us to WORK. We feel better about ourselves when we are productive. The system is set up to encourage bad decision making.

    The soap sounds great! Are cracked hands called chilblains? I have heard that term in history and historical fiction, but I didn't know that is what is wrong with my hands and my dads!

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  14. Speaking of soapbox.
    I am so upset that they
    still sell cigarettes,
    and now the Govt. is
    letting them sell Pot.
    1 cigs
    2 Pot
    3 cocaine
    4 Heroine
    Those politicians need head slaps.

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  15. well, bless your heart!
    thanks so much for the endorsement...
    i love my own soaps, but it's hard to toot your own horn!
    tomorrow i am off to a friends to make my first ever Rosemary/Nettle shampoo bar. I have been using one the past few weeks and i LOVE it!
    I think it will be a huge hit with my customers

    love you girl...

    Loving Jesus,
    Loving people,
    Cindy

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  16. Tombstone, good to know 'cause I dearly love home made soap; thanks!

    Sue, we're in agreement, the world has gone totally mad and we've allowed it. let's throw the bums OUT of office and start fresh!

    Sandy, we're in agreement; those programs are to HELP when we need HELP but not to live on all our lives.

    Magnolia, isn't hand made soap the absolutely best?! I adore it!

    Sparky, as soon as possible socialism should be flushed. ASAP!

    Donna, Cindy has been a blessing in my life and I was glad to talk about her wonderful soap!

    Linda Sue, do any of us understand what we don't understand? -grin- Preaching to the choir, yep, I do a lot of that, don't I? -grin-

    Lottie, I'm sorry, I'll try and find some lye and make some soap for a blog post; how's that?

    Cyndi, lye soap is fabulous and my skin thanks me...a lot!

    Karen, lye soap is my favorite. I even hide it when the children come over; don't want to waste it on the curtain climbers -grin-.

    Gail, yes, who don't those on the government dole have to do community service? It's a GREAT idea! Even if it is mine -grin-

    Debby, the government is the problem and we keep them in office. Oh wait...not US, that 50%+ on the government dole.

    Sue, we're in complete agreement. WORK makes us productive, feel good about ourselves, earns money...it's the way GOD created us!

    Yvonne, those politicians need to be thrown out of office but when 50%+ of the population is on the dole, it's they who vote the sob's in office.

    Cindy, how did the rosemary/nettle shampoo bar work for you? Yes, I do LOVE your soap!

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