Homemade Soap

I made some homemade laundry detergent tonight. It was so simple. I made the powder type, so I will test it tomorrow and see how it does.
1 bar of Fels Naptha laundry soap (grated)
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup laundry soda
mix together very well (I used a coffee grinder).
Use 2 T per load.

Also, Rosie had her spaying surgery a couple of weeks ago (my Maltese) and she is FINALLY gaining weight. Yeah!

Makayla's drawing.

I worked on her drawing some more.

Art

This is a pastel drawing of Makayla that I did today. Like it? She is holding up her "silly band"!

My Mom, Sisters and me. My daughter, Kristi, (the professional photographer) took this! We are at Mandy's house.

July

We've had so much rain lately, it's been good for my garden but bad for my goat's hooves. We had fun on the 4th of July, fishing, visiting, eating good food. We have been working very hard out back clearing around our pond. It is so hot that every time we go outside, we have to take a shower.

I found a beautiful collection of clothes hanging on lines -- over 700 photos -- on flicker. I am not alone.

All things Japanese

Some new things I've been experiencing and researching:

1) Pu'er tea - from Japanese and Chinese cultures, I saw this being featured on the Veria network. Then, I ordered it. I got this treasure yesterday. It is in the form of a "brick". You chip off some of it and brew it into tea. It is said to lower cholesterol, which will be a good benefit for me. But it does taste great.

2) Yubinuki Thimbles - The pictures speak for themselves. An ancient art of Japanese women who began this making thimbles to sew with.

3) Temari balls, also an ancient art of Japenese women, these balls have a bell in the middle. They are embellished with decorative stiching. So far, I've been researching for three days and this is so complicated -- but it has my attention. I want to make a Yubinuki first.

They are wonderful!

What we've been doing.

My DH and I have been working on our entrance to our property. The tulips won't last long, though, and I'll have to plant something else. Coley caught his first fish last weekend.