Soap

I really do prefer getting up earlier rather than later. I was awake at 6:00 this morning and ready to get up other than the fact that we have air conditioning in the bedroom but not in the rest of the house (this is the result of a single man who was gone to work all day and most of the time he spent at home was in the bedroom asleep) and I knew that going out would mean heat and humidity. I was right, of course. Still, once I’m awake, I can only lay in bed for so long (unless I feel like reading) so I had to get up and did about 6:20.

The goats are fed and milked. The garden was watered a bit even though it didn’t really need it. It needs to be weeded in the worst way and I find it very hard to care. I know I need to get out there but. . . . I’m sure it’s partly because of the weeds that nothing is growing quite like it ought. It is because of the leaves that most of the squash and I think all of the melon plants have been eaten by bugs. I’m not sure what the deal is with the corn but Laura and I planted four 15-foot rows (I know, I know—not much—but about all I could handle) and we have less than ten plants. I don’t think we’ll get any corn because they’re all too far away from each other. I did bring in some broccoli that is ready to be eaten.

Right now I am drinking breakfast.

Yesterday was a lovely hot, sticky day. Paul fixed the red Prizm. I went out to see if it was a good time for stacking wood at some point in the morning but the sun was shining right where we would have been stacking so I decided that we could do that later. I folded the clothes that were washed and dried as well as a load of clothes and boys put them all away (Amena only had one thing). I went to get Paul from Gardner when he was done with the Prizm and took the bug because it has a working A/C (guess who is really happy about that?).

I froze some ice-cream in the ice-cream freezer and I put some in the freezer as well, stirring upon occasion just to see what would happen. It takes longer to freeze even though it takes the ice-cream freezer longer than normal because of the heat and humidity (I didn’t realize what a difference the humidity makes for things like that but, boy, does it make ice-cream thaw quickly) and it isn’t as smooth but it still tastes good.

Finally it was time to go stack wood so we all did that. I have discovered that if I time us for 30 minutes, we get a lot more done. When we are out there to go until we’ve stacked everything that is split, it’s hard to get anyone else out and once they are, it’s hard to keep them there. There is more of, “How much time do we have left?” and less of, “Get to work!” That part is quite nice. Paul went out to split more while we were out there and one of the boys worried that because he was out there, we would have to stack more but I said that we would be out there for half an hour. After stacking wood, we came in and had ice-cream with chocolate sauce. That was good.

At 7:31 am, we are at 73°. I do not think that bodes well for the rest of the day. Especially since the forecasts all say that today is supposed to be hotter than yesterday. Yuck.

I did get some reading of Falls the Shadow done yesterday but not all of it. Maybe today. Today we might go to the Higgins Armory in Worcester. They’re closing their doors forever at the end of the year which is rather sad so it’s kind of a now or never situation.

Island Gold.

Other than that, I have been thinking about being self-sufficient. I think that many, maybe even most, people think that in order to be self-sufficient, they have to produce themselves everything that they use—all clothing, all food, all household products, etc. Although I do think this is one way to be self-sufficient, I do not think it is the only way or even the best way. I would like to be able to be as self-sufficient as possible. I have many skills necessary to that end: sewing, cooking, gardening, caring for animals, making soap, knitting. A lot of people tell me once they know I make soap that they would like to make soap. Well, that’s great. What many people don’t understand is that it is a talent and that not everyone is good at it. It also isn’t as easy as going to the store and buying the raw materials needed to make it. If I had to, I could make it from animal fat and leeched lye. I probably wouldn’t be very good at it at first, but probably would be better than others simply because I have at least made soap before. I think a better way might be to focus on those things you excel at and then barter. Granted, you would have to rely on others for some things, but not everything. I’d be happy to trade for hay rather than producing my own. The equipment needed to produce my own would cost far more than we can afford but I would be able to trade for something: clothes, socks, sweaters, soap. Anyway, just food for thought.

There are six children upstairs and only one of them is awake. That is very strange. I could be wrong, but I don’t think they like the heat either. And my computer just updated temperatures and we are now 75°. I will reiterate my earlier yuck: YUCK!

Have a wonderful Saturday!