Family night project 4,032: Soap, as you like it!

Another "family night" project: Soap Making!

I had an impossible time trying to find supplies. I went to the usual JoAnn's Fabric and Michael's, and they both said they really don't carry those supplies any more.

Luckily, I had a few old supplies left over. Mostly just glycerin soaps.

I had a recipe for this "jelly roll" style, but not enough ingredients.

Many years ago when I had my lovely goats, I used to make "goats Milk Soap" with Ivory.

I've not used the glycerin stuff much.

So, we decided to improvise and combine the ivory with the glycerin.

Don't do that....it doesn't work too well.

Both soaps have individual characteristics and textures and do not merge together as you would expect them to do.

BUT! We had what we had, and went ahead anyway.

To start, you are supposed to microwave the glycerin soap 'til it melts. we did, and it was lovely, like golden honey.

So logically, one would conclude that you cut up the Ivory and microwave it too...right?

Well, like I said, it's been about 15-20 years since I made my own soaps, so I have forgotten some details...like Ivory soap needs a bit of moisture added to it when you are melting it.

So, we put it into the microwave, cut into nice chunks...and then watched it as it expanded, and then expanded some more. It sort of looked like a strange shaving cream....until it was done.....

We took it out of the microwave and it was a kind of strangely expanded powdery substance.

Don't microwave ivory soap dry, unless you want to have fun with a scientific experiment.

So, again, we had what we had, and I was determined for this soap to submit to my will.

I mixed some water with the ivory and forced it back into the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Much better. It was...well sort of...cooperating now.

Now, back when I microwaved the glycerin, we were supposed to color it with food coloring and then pour it into a piece of aluminium foil that was shaped into a rectangle.

So, we did. I personally wanted a nice subtle color. My daughter wanted purple, my son wanted green.

The competition began, and, as you can see, the end result was something that looked like lime Jello gone bad.
The first layer, was the Ivory soap, the second layer, the glycerin soap.

After this, you are supposed to roll the whole congealed mass into a kind of roll.

If you have ever heard of the old adage: "oil and water don't mix", the same is true for glycerin and Ivory.

Glycerin is very cooperative, and at times almost rubbery.

Ivory is very firm and board like as it congeals.

Nonetheless, we forced the two, (the lovely purple Ivory cracking as it went along), into what resembled a decaying jelly roll.

After allowing the whole shebang to cool for a while, one is supposed to conveniently slice the mass into cute little rolls.

As you can see here, they came out okay (about 50% came out okay, they rest had Ivory crumbling out of the glycerin roll).

A lovely gift to give to friends and neighbors!

The moral of this story? Experimenting is fun? Follow the recipe as it is stated? Two soaps are better than one?

Most of all, enjoy yourself, even if you make a mess!

Lucky

This is Mazal. His name means "luck".

He is one of two Chiuahua brothers.

He has been with us since he was a month old...now he is two.

I named him Mazal because, according to my sister who helped deliver him, he was still born.

She gave him "mouth to mouth" resussitation and revived him. Later on, he also had an accident with a water bowl, and she revived him then too.

When I told her we were going to name him Mazal, she thought it was a bad idea, because every dog she had ever known whose name was "lucky", ended in a bad way.

I have never owned a Chihuahua before. I have only had large dogs, so it has taken a while to get used to the behavior of these two.

They are very loving, yet incredibly aggressive toward strangers.

They are very brave in the face of even the biggest dog, but very cowardly and trembling at the smallest noise.

They are full of energy and playfullness, but have hours of "down time" where they just sleep.

Most of all, they are cuddly and loyal...and really too cute!

A dream..............

Hieronymus Bosch
Garden of Earthly Delights
( outer wings depicting the third day of creation)




I dreamt about my father last night.
I was somewhere, in a room, and I saw him.
He looked clean and tidy, and was sitting there...perhaps a little younger (he was 90 when he died), possibly in his 50's.
I was amazed. Someone came up to me and said: "whats wrong with you?" And I said:"My father died six months ago....no, wait, it was almost two years ago, but he's not dead, he's there in the other room...and he's alive and fine".
I think this is maybe the second time I dreamt this dream, but this time it was a little different, it seemed stronger, as the figure of my father was very...clear. His image was sharp and his aura was very...clean, crisp....especially in his clothing and stature.....he was also quite a bit younger.
He only sits there for me to observe, he never says anything nor does this form acknowledge me. I am only to observe, to see that strangely he is alive and well.
I have always been an interpreter of dreams, I never let my dreams go without trying to figure out their meaning....but these dreams seem to simply be what they are, a vision of my father, and that he is fine.
It makes one wonder if the mind strives to create something that it understands, because death is unfathomable....so, my mind recreates my father in an idealized form to try to quell my sadness of his passing.
Or, is it something more simple and less cerebral; is it simply the soul of my father, reaching out to me to let me know that indeed he is fine, and he is "clean", that whatever unresolved issues he had in this life are now resolved and his "self" is now clear and unfettered.
It's a strange thing, that, in life, my thoughts were only sometimes focused on my father...but since his death, there is not a day that at some point, my thoughts retrace a memory of him, or that for a fleeting second my mind touches on him.
What is "that"?
I myself have no answer....but many beliefs say that if ones loved one is remembered, that memory is the vehicle of a kind of immortality....at least, in this world.

IF: "Worn"

I just finished this piece and was waiting for a proper category, and "worn" was it!
It is a mixed media on plywood, approximately 12"x12".

The base of the painting is a texture made with layers of tissue.
I wanted really to give an impression of an old relic, something that had decayed over time.
Certain areas are emphasized with texture where others are more subdued with darker color.

The paint is primarily acrylic, though mixed with watercolor washes throughout.

I added a lot of line quality with pencil and permanent inks.
The texture is done with a layered combination of tissue paper and wax.

I wanted just a small emphasis on color so that I could maintain a sense of something aged and faded, so the hats are a cotton printed fabric.

To keep the picture from fading out so much I brightened each figure with white and metallic gold , then went back on top with ink hatching.

The subject matter was derived from some very old Persian miniatures I had seen a while back.

Happy Fathers Day!

" It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was"
Anne Sexton

A most delicious smackeral!

I simply adore lentils and rice! Don't you?
Majadarah (Mujadarah), is it's other name.
You cook the lentils separate from the rice (some recipes add them in the same pot, but you have more control of the texture if you cook them separately), then put them together when you are ready to eat them. I season the rice only with a little salt, sometimes you might add some Turmeric.
To the lentils I add only salt and a little Cumin, but ever so often I also include a little soup mix to infuse more body to the flavor.
Most commonly you top them with a lovely crown of onions ( cooked until caramelized) , fresh tomatoes, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley (or you could add cilantro if you like).
I happen to love raw onions (my husband loves me all the more for this trait), some sliced fried eggplant, lettuce, a little hot sauce around the edges (normally you would have Harrissa ).
And lovingly top the whole thing with a bit of Hummus.
I LOVE IT!!!!
I know for some of you purists, I may have added a bit much, but you must admit, it looks ( and tastes) delectable!
This is all you need for a great lunch....you may however wish to include an ice cold beer........