University of Florida...GO GATORS!!!!

New coaters for me, and whoever else may want them! Football will be starting, and Florida will AGAIN be #1...

We made the soap and it turned out wonderful!! We did it as a hot process, for the first time :). We used canola oil, oatmeal, & coconut oil. I think its just about the best I have ever done :).

Church was wonderful! Classes started, yesterday, and the kids were very excited. Wyatt was sick & unable to go. He will make it up after the holiday.

Time to start sewing, again....I need to get a few things done for birthdays, and Christmas. What to do this year??? ...Sigh...

Today was April's first day of school, and Wyatt is at karate, so new thibgs are happening.

Natural, Homemade, soap,

Today, April & I are going to make soap. Probably with oatmeal, and maybe with coconut oil. I may not scent these, so they will be a more natural. (of course you can find all my things in my store ;). I am playing around with making covers for the soaps, both adult and for kids. The kids will have 2 kinds, one a puppet style, and one will be a 2 piece style...The adult will probably be a wash cloth with initials, or flowers in a corner, wrapped with ribbon. Either way, I expect them to be cute :).

There are some really wonderful reasons for using handmade soaps, first of all, its environmentally friendly, so if you're going green, this is a great way to start!

12. Dissolve a few chips in hot water for laundry, you can use the water, afterwards in your garden as a natural pesticide.

11. kills head and body lice
10. psoriasis, eczema & acne
9. poison ivy & poison oak rash -rub in let dry on
8. keeps mosquitoes & chiggers away -rub in let dry on skin
7. relieves pain and itching from sunburn, mosquitoes or chigger bites & athlete's foot, just lather on and let it dry on skin.
6. tied in old sock at backs of tree prevents insect invasion
5. better than bleach on whites and removes stains- wet, rub, wash
4. put on hook for catfish bait
3. lather hides human scent for hunters
2. kills fleas & dander on pets
1. best for dirty mouthed kids

See eHow , Brambleberry , Lye Soap Are a few places you can take a peek, find out some uses, and see what you think.

I have been using my lye soap for over a year, using it as shampoo, I have not had to use any conditioners! Believe me, I have always needed conditioners. I use it for laundry soap, and will experiment with it in the garden next year. My kids like it, but my grand kids love it! Blake, my 10yo grandson, Christina & Jamey's child, would rather use the lye soap than anything.

Anyway, off for the day so I can get some of this done :).

Blessings!!!!!

Angels..& more life

Over the weekend, I embroidered a really nice Angel with the "Angel of God" prayer. I did it in white glow in the dark thread on black felt. Framed it, and put it in Wyatt's room. He really liked it.

I have my serger & the smaller Janome back from their annual cleaning. They both got good reports! Of course its the 11000 that has to be the biggest problem...and the most expensive! Drives me crazy.

April is off taking Wyatt to "Karate for Christ" at Church. I really think he will like it. This will give him a Monday night thing to do, along with school, and keeping busy in general.

Keep April in your prayers! She has a test on Wednesday. She needs to pass this test to get into the Vet Tech program!!!!

Grocery Bags

Well, I have made 9 grocery bags today! They were sooo easy. I made them out of t-shirts from a pattern I had found here on the internet. All you have to do is cut off the arms, making sure you leave the seam that (that will be your edge.) Using a kitchen plate, place it, about middle-ways on top of the neck on the back, cut around it. Place the bottom pieces together, inside out, and sew together. Walla! A grocery bag & going green! Doing little things like can make a difference, & some stores will give you credit for bringing your own bags.

My son 7 his wife & kids may be moving here! I am excited and am praying for them. I want this to be the right move for them, but pray they make the right move. Cliff & Tabitha have 3 kids, Chrissy, 14, Jeremiah, 8, & Jacob, 6. I haven't been around the boys much, but Chrissy is my baby...well...a kinda grown up baby, now. It will be nice to get to know the boys better, and have fun with Chrissy. I would love to see all the kids together.

Pax Christi!

Thake a look here, which is where I started this blog, then things got confused...or I am LOL

Yesterday...

Yesterday, I had to be up early in the morning to head to Sarah Cannon for my cancer treatment. I am currently on a trial at Sarah Cannon, taking Trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 & Pertuzumab every 3 weeks. I have been so very tired on this, plus sometimes kinda sick. All in all, I think its in the fact I have had so much chemo over the past 6 1/2 years. I'm still here, though, and my little family has continued to grow. Its nice to think most of my grand kids will remember me :).

Michael took April up to the Health Dept to get Wyatt's shot record in order for Tennessee, and get him into kindergarten. He should do very well, plus he is sooo cute, he will have the girls chasing him!!

Cliff & Tabatha MAY be moving back to Tennessee. That will be nice :). I admit, I miss my oldest son...even though he can be a PAIN! I guess that's what kids are for.

The pic on the left is of Wyatt...see what I mean? He is so very cute :). The one at the top is Anita's youngest daughter, Samantha. This is at her Baptism, and I made her Baptism gown. She was Baptized Oct 2nd 2006 @ St Luke Catholic Church in Smyrna, TN. She is a doll, and of course I pray her children will be Baptized in the same gown. Holding her is her daddy, Dan, and Anna is beside her. It was a wonderful event which will always be remembered as her 2nd birthday. Pax Christi!

A Wild Week!

My step-daughter had decided to move in with us, an go to school, last May during Easter Vacation/Spring Break. April started out in Vancouver, WA and drove with her mom & her mom's boyfriend to California on August 3rd. They spent a few days in California, and started on the long trip to TN.

They made it here in record time on Monday Morning. After resting up, we took her mom & Darrel to Alabama to meet up with April's Grandma. That was on Wednesday! Talk about a load of miles she had driven!

Thursday, we rested, and Friday we hit a yard sale and ended up with almost all we needed for books, shelves, and Wyatt...oh, you never have enough, but it was wonderful for starters.

Wyatt is wonderful, he is soooo cute! He will be starting kindergarten in the next few days. I think he will do well.

We are praying April is able to get in the Vet Tech program at Columbia State, here in Columbia. So, prayers, please?

Today is clean up & arrange day....ugh! We will get done as much as we can, of course.

Tomorrow is Mass, of course, but today is my Birthday! I was Baptized 10 days on The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! I imagine it was planned like that.

I need to get moving soon. Blessings!!