Natural Colorants, Signs, and the Wednesday Hodgepodge June 4 2014

Vintage Mojonnier Milk Sample Bottles

Mr. Cranberry, as you know, brings home the oddest little treasures from buildings that are being demo'ed. The sign above my soap botanicals and natural colorants is one of them. I also have ones that read, 'Guidance,' 'Library,' 'Boys,' 'Soiled Utility,' (which is above the laundry room door),  'Meditation Room' (which is above the bathroom door), and various others too numerous to mention.  He set the 'Director of Development' on top of my soap botanicals and it seemed to fit. I have several of those vintage milk sample bottles that I now use to store dried and ground botanicals and natural colorants for my soaps, such as:

Rosemary

Orange Peel

Lemon Verbena

Apple Peel

Cucumber Peel

Peppermint

Coffee

Thyme

Paprika

Turmeric

etc. etc

Because I use only natural colorants.

Just a few of my natural, handcrafted vegan soaps available at:

HomemadeSoapnSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop

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AND NOW, on to the Hodgepodge.

Join Joyce at 'From This Side of the Pond'

Click on the button below to find her.

1. I've read several posts and status updates recently describing end of year school field trips. Do you remember taking school field trips as a kid? Where did you go and do you recall a favorite? For any parents responding today, have you ever chaperoned a school field trip, and if so where?

 The Ancestors - on a Field Trip

Cutting Tobacco

Wow, that was a long time ago. And back when I was a kid, field trip meant taking a pitcher of Kool-Aid (or water) and a plate of brownies out to my dad and brothers in the hayfield. AND, I think that our class actually went to the local turkey processing plant.

When our kids were still in school, as homeschoolers we took them on field trips to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, several Civil War Battlefields, Mexico, Boston, New York, Plymouth Plantation, and many other places. We believed that the field trips we took were every bit as important as classroom learning - and probably stuck with them better (and were a lot more fun!)

The next generation of field trips

2. What's something you're tired of seeing online?

Since I only go to my blogging friends' sites and a select few other sites I like, I'd say the one thing I most get tired of seeing is pop-up box surveys. ACK!  Don't they know we hate those??

3. June is the month for roses. Which of the following expressions would you say has most recently applied to your life-'everything's coming up roses', 'there's no rose without a thorn', 'came out smelling like a rose', or 'wearing rose-colored glasses'? 


I would have to say 'NOT wearing rose-colored glasses.'   I see the barn that needs to get repaired and the new roof that needs to be put on the house and the apartment and porch that need to be finished even while checking Travelocity for airfare to London. But I still do it.

Needing a railing, steps, post facings, and corbels

4. When grilling outdoors do you prefer gas or charcoal? Who does the grilling at your house? What's the last thing you ate that was cooked on a grill?


I most definitely prefer a charcoal grill. I wasn't kidding yesterday when I said I like the taste of lighter fluid - if it's just a hint - and of course, charcoal. Both Kevin and I will grill. It depends on what else is happening.

The backyard basswood and pond illumination

5. Are you afraid of the dark?

I've never been completely comfortable with what might be lurking in the dark, including skunks and bears - or serial killers. When I would go outdoors in the dark of night and had my German Shepherd with me, I was way less leery of what might be waiting to 'get me' in the dark. I knew that Bridger would get them, it, her, him, first. Or at least die trying. (I'm really glad that never happened.) When I was a kid, if I ran to my dad in the middle of the night and he assured me that there was nothing there to be scared of, I'd go back to bed and know there was nothing there. I totally trusted him. That's such a nice memory.

Dad and Bridger, both in their later years

6. Share a favorite song with a number in it's title.

The first that comes to mind is Paul Simon's  'Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover,' which I've always thought was so clever. I'm not advocating anyone leaving anyone, mind you, but you'll have to admit it's clever. And actually it's not like it's a favorite, but the first number song that came to mind. But a favorite would probably be Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #3, (He must have been crazy or a genius, I don't know which!) Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto Number 3. We could go on and on with these numbers. And I'm just reminded that I don't listen to these pieces often enough. They're beautiful!

7. "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."(C.G. Jung). Do you agree? Why or why not?

If we'll take the time to analyze why we're irritated, it might help us to see that we're probably selfish and/or insecure. And very possibly we're also irritating to others. I know from personal experience that it's very easy to be irritating. :-) It's lots easier to see others' faults, rather than our own. And truly, we're all sinful and selfish. And that's where Mr. Cranberry comes in so handy. I can point out others' faults to him and by the time I'm done, even though he says nary a word, I'm reminded of my own sinfulness. Funny how that works. How nice is Mr. Cranberry. And how loving and merciful is God.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Why does Petfinder keep sending me photos of available Labrador retrievers, boxers, terriers, etc. when they know that I am looking specifically for a German Shepherd Dog.  But I think I do know why. They're counting on me seeing any poor little dog without a home and caving. VERY easy to do. I'm afraid Petfinder knows me.

'French Lilac & Lavender'

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soap

Thank you for reading this incredibly long blog post!