Lye Soap Like Grandma Used to Make

The title above is no misnomer, since lye soap was the soap of choice in rural regions and farm communities, where lye was plentiful and homemade.

The bars you see here are plain and white (brown, white, and cream are the usual colors). This hardworking soap is reputed to remove stains, sooth skin, and even deterr bugs.

Whereas, the pumpkin-colored bars below are infused with peppermint tea, creating a warm, speckled bar that smacks of dessert. We wrap the bars in brown paper for photography purposes, but all bars are wrapped in plastic and padded before shipping to keep them fresh and undamaged.

There are more photos and information on the soap on our Etsy link to the right -- it's a handmade craft well worth Googling up, since the process is a unique mixture of time, special ingredients (and occasional creativity on the part of each soap artist).

Our Sleepy Hollow friend rides through the forest ....

... although not necessarily with his head firmly on his shoulders (if you know what I mean).

See Ichabod (and his trusty horse Hobble D. Hoy) on Ebay this week by clicking Here.

Lurking Somewhere in the Future ...

Frank's here to remind you that our favorite season is fast approaching ... so keep a sharp eye out for ghosties and ghouls ....

Meanwhile, the photos of our Fourth of July decor and the first pics of our summer Craft Fair Fun adventures are still in the works, so stay tuned.

... and check out Reggie's blog here for the latest installment of his thrilling adventure.

Where the Wild Things Are

Our adventures continue in the wilderness formerly known as The Garden ...

The long and twining vines of the pumpkin plants have returned to their old spot this year, flanking the opening between the yard and garden. A mixture of Connecticut Fields, stripey white and orange, Jack-Be-Little and sugar pumpkins, there's no telling what from who with their tiny identical vines ...

This is not entirely our fault, since the pumpkins tend to plant themselves despite our best efforts at building little hills and germinating seeds inside. Last year's broken fruits and dried-out shells -- half-buried beneath leaf piles or rain-swept soil -- spring to life after the first summer rain and mix themselves with the garden planted seeds for a "wild patch" effect.

A "wild" stripey pumpkin takes over: this one was tossed out of the shop after it was found rotting in a box of dried display fruit. It planted itself immediately, producing about twenty or so wild little seedlings all vying for a spot.

A few of this year's wild plants were transplanted from the "pumpkin graveyard" of last year -- the spot on the other side of the garden where rotten Jack O' Lanterns and moldy mini pumpkins are tossed after Halloween. The rain brings the seedlings to life, and since I don't have the heart to mow over them, several of them get transferred to the pumpkin patch to join their friends.

With all these pumpkins, we're going to need a big scarecrow to keep the wildlife away .....