Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Y'all, SURELY I'm not old enough 

to have a 26 year old!

But that's the year we celebrated with our sweet Kyle this weekend.

This son of mine is a "no-fuss" kinda guy.  

He wanted to keep things simple this year so all he asked for was a homemade peach cobbler, a weighted blanket, and an afternoon out with his dearest friend.

He's also a creature of tradition.

So I put out a  Creamer birthday breakfast of kolaches, apple fritters (his FAVE!), and donuts.

He also got his homemade peach cobbler with vanilla Blue Bell, of course!

I asked him why he didn't want to go out the Astros game or the shooting range for his birthday and he said, "Mom, as you get older you just want to keep things simple!"

Son, you are preaching to the choir on that one!!!

Happy simple birthday, my sweet boy.

You are loved more than you'll ever know.

A New Job For Me?

I have been out of work since November of 2022.  My 31 year nursing career was cut short by refusing to take the Covid vaccines. I have been in quite the funk about it for longer than I care to mention!  I don't want to go back to bedside nursing, so I've been applying to random jobs in remote nursing, retail, and food service, 

YOU NAME IT!!!  

No one wants a 54 year old former nurse.

I've prayed and prayed for the Lord to show me where to go and what to do.  

He has been painfully silent.

And yet, he has provided for us every single day!

I like to be creative and I like to be at home.  

I LOVE to garden and sew, so that was my outlet in dealing with my depression.  

I often post my projects on Facebook and other social media and inevitably I get several private messages offering to buy my creations.  

I began to think, why not sell what I create?

So I'm here to announce my new online store:

HERB & THREAD

Handmade soaps, tinctures, salves, balms, etc...made from herbs organically grown in my own backyard and that I and my family use ourselves.  Also, a variety of hand sewn products that tickle my fancy.

I'm busy making products to launch the store and will let you know as soon as it's up and running!

In the meantime, say a prayer for me!

I think this is where the Lord is leading me.

The Three Oil Soap

It's too hot to garden, I can only clean the house so much, and my sewing machine is broken!  In a fit of boredom, I busted out my soap making bin and searched for the perfect soap recipe, and I think I've found it.

I call it my "Three Oil Soap."

It's a lovely, old fashioned soap.

You know, like Granny used to make out by the "cement pond" and Ellie Mae used it and she had the most beautiful skin in all of Beverly Hills!

It's makes the most creamy bars and the ingredients are very moisturizing and nourishing to the skin.

Three simple oils:

Tallow

Castor Oil

Coconut Oil

Unscented, no preservatives, organic.

I'm not sure I can wait the six weeks 

for them to cure!

 

These will be available in my online store in August and I can't wait for you to try them, too!

Preserving Herbs Part 1

  I have a dedicated garden box right outside my kitchen for herbs.  I use them in cooking almost daily and I prefer to use them fresh, 

but herbs don't grow in the winter 

so I've set about ways of preserving them to enjoy later in the year.

 My first project was an Italian herb blend.

I've been snipping loads of Genovese basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, and thyme.

I dry them in my dehydrator, and in a couple of hours, they are brittle to the touch and ready for storage.  I chop piles of dried herbs into smaller pieces and store them in an airtight jar.

The herbs will last for months and we'll have 

a little taste of summer in the heart of winter!