Miss Elle doesn't understand why I'm home so much. We take afternoon walks and sit on the porch regularly. I can't recall how many years it's been since I've had the luxury of enjoying a day off. So for this soap maker the quiet time even though the circumstances suck, the time at home has been enjoyable for all of us.
Elle is a cairn terrier or a Toto dog. I can't say enough good things about this breed of dogs. A Scottish breed of dog that was trained to get varmints out of holes. Elle will catch a mole in a flat second. She sniffs her nose on top of the mounted runs and then quickly snaps up the little critters. It's fun to watch! If you don't mind watching a mole or bole die. I am not a fan of mice or moles so it doesn't bother me to watch.
The wren family has not returned yet, but they come back every spring. I love that about wrens. Their family and family's family always return to their birthplace. We have several wren houses at the soap house on the hill, but usually, there's only one home that gets occupied by a wren family. My dad has bluebirds! He built special bluebird houses and last year he had a family of bluebirds take up residence. I'm hoping that all of the kids out of school are able to explore nature and learn about birds. They are amazing creatures!
This is a picture of my dad when he was younger. My uncle Richard captured the image. It reminds me of how small we are in this world.
Like everyone else, I've been cleaning closets and working around our home. The difference between now and then home working is I'm using what I have. If I don't have something I make do with what I have or I do what my great grandmother would do, make it. You've heard me tell stories about my Great Grandmother Lucy and how she made soap in a big black kettle in her country home. She used her soap for bathing, household cleaning, and laundry. I would think with zero-waste trending before this virus hit, that it's really going to be hyper trending now. There is a certain satisfaction achieved by making do and using what you have for some.
I was inspired by the Great Grandmother Lucy stories to create certain products.
Last summer after our weekend getaway to Big Cedar Lennis began making these. We really liked the ones that were on the porch of our cabin that we stayed out and by chance, we had a couple of cedar trees that were in need of cutting down. Needless to say, this is an example of using what you have to make something useful.
After this is all over, we're headed back down!
We have this little rock walkway that sits on the north side of our home. Last spring I planted ground cover, hostas, and lilies. I can't wait to take it in when it's blooming! Lennis built the rock step way and it's one of my favorite things.
It's nice to see the grass turning green. When Elle and I went walking through our neighborhood earlier folks were mowing and working outside in their yards. Just looking, you wouldn't have a clue that anything out of the ordinary was going on. It's kind of a strange occurrence to witness. I am thankful it's spring! I told Elle that I loved the color "grass green." The color is so vivid and crisp!
I thought about thankfulness before, but now those feelings are enhanced. Do you feel this way too?
I've also been digging through old pictures. This one was taken a couple of years ago when Bittersweet hosted a Fashion Show on our porch. The models were amazing! So many feelings that I can't put into words now about this day. This picture helps soothe the soul.
The days that we weren't social distancing are now favorite memories.
Who knew that these moments would become such fond ones?
Keep the faith.
Jill
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