Mountain Musings

White Chocolate Fudge....or Soap?

Can you tell the difference? Should I write a sign declaring "Do not eat: soap curing" or invite people to help themselves when passing by the kitchen counter?

~Hannah

Snow Day Sew Day

Here in Virginia, we only received a small piece of the Blizzard the northeast is receiving this week, but we did have a snowy-stay-inside-day today...much to Sarah's delight!

This was a perfect day for a Girls' Day In! We'll each tell you what we worked on:

Sarah's Snow Day Quilting: This winter I have been determined to work as much as I can on the hand quilting on my double wedding ring quilt. It's ridiculous how many years it's been since I started, and it's not even halfway done yet! Over the past few weeks, it's been really nice to get back into it, even though my fingers have been a bit sore while my calluses build back up again.

And snowy days are the perfect time to stay cozy underneath a quilt inside a warm house!

~Sarah

Hannah's Snow Day Project:  I brought out my sewing machine for the first time this winter, and after cleaning and oiling it, I began working where I left off (many months ago) on my picnic quilt. The blocks are made with old denim squares and pieces of various red/white/and blue fabrics. Getting closer to sewing the blocks into rows!

~ Hannah

Deb's Snow Day Row-Along:

It's been quite awhile since I posted about the Row-Along I started working on last January! But what a great day to set up our machines and get busy.

I've now completed the mitten row: Here I am joining the next row of twinkly stars together:

And here's the star row added to the group:Tomorrow I'll be working on the neighborhood houses row...should be fun!

And speaking of snowy day projects...here's a new quilt kit that I'll be making for Sarah when I finish the Row-Along or if I want to take a break this week and start something different. Doesn't it suit her perfectly? The pattern is called Snowtime.

I'll post pictures when I make some headway on it!So what did you work on today?  Any sewing?  Shoveling snow? Baking bread?

~Deb

Autumn Splendor

 To Thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise in hymns of adoration,

To Thee bring sacrifice of praise with shouts of exultation.

Bright robes of gold the fields adorn, the hills with joy are ringing,

The valleys stand so thick with corn that even they are singing.

And now, on this our festal day, Thy bounteous hand confessing,

Upon Thine altar, Lord, we lay the firstfruits of Thy blessing.

By Thee all human souls are led with gifts of grace supernal;

Thou, who gives us our daily bread, give us the bread eternal.

O blessèd is that land of God where saints abide forever,

Where golden fields spread fair and broad, where flows the crystal river.

The strains of all its holy throng with ours today are blending,

Thrice blessèd is that harvest song which never hath an ending.

Hymn by William C. Dix 1861

Photos by Hannah Girotti, October 2014

Arise and Be Baptized

Our church gathered at the local river to witness 5 people give testimony to their faith in Christ. It was a beautiful day for a baptism and picnic!

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

"...there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized."

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

  " And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Speaking of breaking bread, we did just that after the baptisms.

Decker and Sons Grilling Co. took charge of the main course.

Sarah created this special cake for the occasion:

Afterwards there was plenty of fellowship and playful activity as part of the joyful celebration.

~Hannah

The Poppies Blow

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow; Between the crosses, row on row.
That mark our place; and in the sky; The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below; We are the dead. Short days ago.
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow; Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw.
The torch; be yours to hold it high; If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

~by John McCrae

Happy Memorial Day!

Spring on our Windowsill

Did you know that many vegetable scraps, including green onions, can be placed in water to re-grow? When chopping green onions for a recipe, simply trim the root end with a few inches of white away from the green part of the stalk. Place the root ends upright in a jar, covering the roots with a few inches of water, and set in a sunny window.

In the photo above, the onions on the left have been shooting upward for exactly 1 week. The onions on the right have been growing for 4 weeks and are ready (or past ready) to use. You can snip the onions at any time as needed, or you can wait until they are taller, cut them off near the roots, and begin the process again. This gives you a continuous supply of scallions! You may need to refresh the water in the jar after several days.

I'm glad we tried this experiment. It's nice to have a little bit of something growing while there is still snow on the ground outside. Have you done something similar with success?

~Hannah

Progress on Framed Projects ~ Part 1

The winter season, when the garden doesn't need tending and there are no farmers' markets to prepare for and attend, is a perfect to time to pull out some large projects that take focused time. Last February I wrote about the matting and framing I had begun of several cross-stitch pictures. I wrote more in-depth about my framing process in 2007.

Well, it was again time to bring these out and finally get them completed! Here are some photos of the pieces I have finished so far. While the majority of the planning and work had been done last year, such as all the measuring, cutting, and stretching, each picture needed final assembling and touchups. We gradually purchased the needed frames on sale at various stores throughout the year.

The cross-stitch pieces are a combination of ones Sarah, Mom, or I had stitched for one another or ourselves. The framed piece above is Sarah's handiwork; she chose a Scripture verse that fit well with the girl reading and added her sketch to the pattern.

The sampler on above left was stitched by Mom for me; I love all the colors in it. It features Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection things above..." The green picture on the right was stitched by Sarah as a gift to me and includes many culinary herbs...she knew it would be something I would like!

And the two above were also stitched by Sarah for her hope chest.  She has a few smaller pieces that I need to finish once we find the appropriate-sized frames, since they are not standard sizes. Mom's geranium piece that she posted about awhile back was discovered and is now added to the list of ones to begin framing from scratch.

Whew! I'll post more when the next batch of framing is complete.

What have you been working on lately?

~Hannah

Small Business Saturday ~ Pleasant View Soaps & Granny's Basket Shop

Today is Small Business Saturday, and there's a special going on over at Pleasant View Soaps.

Now available....Limited edition 2+ oz. gift-size bars, in 2 scents for the holiday season: Bayberry or Sugar Plum, with goat's milk.

For every $15 spent on orders from now until midnight, Monday, December 2, a small bar of one of the holiday scents will be included free with your order!

Check out the regular size bars and all the available scents over at Pleasant View Soaps. Support small business owners by frequenting their shops!Thank you for your support!

~Hannah

Also, celebrating Small Business Saturday, Granny's Basket shop has many handmade heirloom baskets for sale; they make unique gifts for your friends for Christmas.

Check out Granny's Etsy shop for your holiday shopping needs!

Thank you for your business!

 ~ Granny

Workshop's Latest Project - Soap Dishes

It's nice having a woodworker in the family! Dad designed and handcrafted these new soap trays especially for me to offer along with Pleasant View Soaps products. Many people at the farmers' market have been asking for these soap dishes, because ones that drain properly are harder to find.

Made from quality pine and hand-sanded smooth, these simple and beautiful wooden soap dishes will help keep handmade soaps drained well between uses, making the soap stay dry and last longer. No more soft bars!

Thanks for your hard work on these, Dad!

~Hannah

Beneficial Herbs for the Skin: Jewelweed

Cross-posted from Hannah's blog

Time for a quickie botanical lesson!

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), or Spotted Touch-Me-Not, is a leafy plant found plentifully near shady, wet, woodland areas such as creek banks. It blooms mid-summer to fall with orange-y trumpet-shaped flowers.

Known for its usefulness in soothing skin irritations, burns, insect bites, and inflammation, jewelweed can be especially helpful in preventing or treating poison ivy rashes. The juice from the leaves and stems neutralizes the oily urushiol left behind from encounters with poison ivy or stinging nettles, if used before or soon after exposure.

The alternate name of touch-me-not is derived from the tendency the seedpods have to "pop" when touched. The seeds of this annual plant self-sow in large stands; above you see jewelweed growing profusely along a bank flanked by sunny black-eyed susans. The plant attracts honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to its colorful jewel-like blooms.

I hand-picked loads of jewelweed at a neighbor's property (with permission), so that I could infuse its beneficial qualities into a specialty soap. The leaves and flowers were simmered in oil, which I then used to create my Nature Friend bar. I also incorporated the chopped leaves, along with plantain leaf, which is another great dermatological herb.

Lavender and peppermint essential oils promote healing and anti-histamine action, reducing the itch and inflammation. Lather on this soap before going outdoors as a shield, or use to cleanse affected skin after exposure. Even if you haven't caught the rash in time, this gentle goat's milk formula can soothe troubled skin and assist in the quick healing of the rash.

Jewelweed: what a kind provision of our Creator! Have you used jewelweed soap before, and has it successfully worked for you? Let us know your story!

~Hannah