Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps

Lamb’s Ear

June 16, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

Today I come to you with a photo of two sadly neglected plants. Neglected before they were given the opportunity to be planted in soil.

Yes, I did it (or didn’t do it).

I purchased two Lamb’s Ear plants (Latin name Stachys byzantina). I have always admired Lamb’s Ear. I love the fuzzy fine “fur” on the leaves. I also love how they bloom and spread.

What did I do to neglet the plants so badly? I set the newly purchased pots on my back porch and did not plant them. I kept watering them. I kept watch over them. But I never could find a place to set them in the soil until today. I figured I had better do the deed before I killed them altogether.

We have had a lot of rain. What is normally soil that is easy to rake is saturated, almost like clay.

I have a plastic tag that came with the plants. It says they like full sun, and to plant them 12″ apart. Ooops…they are planted side by side. Nothing like planting first and then reading.

What I like best about tending to any new plant, is learning from the “experts.” Hearing from folks that have grown a particular plant. Folks that know how to divide them, what type of sun they like, how often they like to be watered. That is you, hopefully.

I think the Lamb’s Ear plants are salvageable. I can even see them being moved in the future.

I hope you say the same. Any experience with Lamb’s Ear?

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged Garden, lamb's ear | 6 Comments »

Product Monday – Basil, Sage & Mint Goat Milk Soap

June 14, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

You just never know what will inspire thoughts of a new soap. Last month, as I headed to the house to wash my hands after weeding my flower and herb starts, I began thinking about garden-inspired soaps.

This is the first of several of the new soaps, Basil, Sage and Mint goat milk soap, with a touch of lemongrass, bergamot, cedarwood, and a few other wonderful essential oils.

The soap smells clean, fresh, herbal, and definitely garden-inspired.

After shifting around on the idea of colorant, I decided to let nature do its own thing with this soap. No colorants were added.

Basil, Sage & Mint is being added to my online store as I write this post.

Enjoy!

Posted in Products | Tagged basil sage mint handcrafgted soap, garden inspired soap, Goat Milk Soap | 3 Comments »

The Tricky Kid Sisters

June 13, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

With a lot of rain and mud, and humidity in between, chores on the farm have been a bit more difficult recently.

These two tykes add to the fun in an entirely different way.

Annie’s girls (the doeling on the left, and back left) are busy escapees. When I hear their voices, which sound like a cross between a yodel and a b-a-a-a (yes, it’s hilarious), I know they are going to be on an escape mission.

Look at their very interested look as I walked out of the feed room door, above photo. Notice the lifted ear, the inquisitive face.

I continued out of the gate and knew to have my phone in my hand as I returned.

Sure enough.

As I rounded the back of the truck one doeling had squeezed through the top rungs of the gate. What you can barely see is the red sister squeezing through and following right behind. They are slick!

The girls are normally safe, but I have found them a time or two in the middle of the field, away from the barn and the attached lots. Which doesn’t thrill me because they are unguarded in that area. They are determined, much like their mother.

I have also been bottle feeding a kitten. Momma barn cat had kittens about three weeks ago. She normally brings them to me and leaves them for short periods of time as I milk the goats. She did the same this time. But, she came down very ill, quickly, and passed on. At the same time I lost one kitten. The remaining three kittens went to the house for closer observation. I figured raw goat milk was about as good as it got. I had tiny bottles on hand. We battled eye infections, and then pneumonia set in. I lost two more kittens. The last kitten is still on the bottle, and still in the house, and is gaining strength, along with fiestiness. Today she lapped from a bowl. She thinks she is constantly hungry so I gave the saucer a whirl. She went right to town on the warm milk. It was good to see.

Animals, they are a lot of work, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged bottle fed kitten, goat kids | 10 Comments »

Don’t Take Off With My Soap

June 8, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

I very much enjoyed a recent email from a customer. I thought you might enjoy the humor as well.

When my customer’s husband asked her what she wanted for her upcoming birthday. Her answer was, “I want more of that wonderful soap!” She said she got so excited when she placed the soap order that she forgot to include an important box number in the ship to address. Her next words put a smile on my face, she said she was now “plagued with visions of some stranger whisking off with my soap!!!” Hilarious…but would be a worry, I love it!

She thanked me, explaining that each of her family members use my soaps and truly appreciate them. She also talked about how I am blessed with a talent for making soap.

Some of you have heard me say this before, I think we are all blessed with talents and gifts. I love to see people follow their passions. Don’t worry about what you cannot do so well, focus on what you are good at. You will shine. I hope you do!

Have a beautiful day!

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged customer story, Humor, Soap Story | 10 Comments »

Product Monday – Patchouli Goat Milk Soap

June 7, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

Patchouli has a warm, earthy, and sweet aroma.

Patchouli is a valuable essential oil to the natural product crafter. It is often used as a base note in perfumes, as it is a fantastic fixative that helps the scent of a natural perfume hold lasting abilities. Patchouli is often used in aromatherapy for its calming and grounding properties. And in natural skin care products, patchouli is known for its antiseptic and emollient properties. It can assist both troubled and mature skin.

The scent of patchouli is often loved or hated. I personally have adored it for many years, especially combined with other oils as a perfume. It definitely is a grounding aroma on my list.

Patchouli goat milk soap is now available in my online store.

Enjoy!

Posted in Products | Tagged patchouli goat milk soap, patchouli handcrafted soap | 8 Comments »

A Barn Watcher

June 5, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

I love road trips in southern Ohio.

I enjoy looking at the barns. In parts of south central ohio, near the Ohio river, there are a lot of winding roads, surrounded by woods, and many old tobacco barns. The barns are generally very close to the road, signs of a very busy crop in the past.

There are also the quilt barns, very much present in Adams County, Ohio, and in our area as well. The barn quilt paintings began as a way of welcoming tourists, but now are popular in many areas of the United States.

I also love the beautiful barns in our state that were painted to reflect the Ohio bicentennial in 2003.

I especially love the delapidated older barns. It is shame to see them abandoned. I cannot help but imagine what the barns were used for when they were first built, especially the barns with a hay loft at the 3rd level. Perhaps a dairy barn?

Our modern metal pole barns will never become as weather-beaten as the 100-year old barns did, but they lack in abiance and character.

Are you a barn watcher too? I have been as far back as I can remember. Road trips etched in my mind as a child, almost as if the barns were the road markers. Beautiful.

Posted in All In A Day's Time | Tagged barn character, old red barns | 5 Comments »

A Glamorous Day On The Farm

June 3, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

Ahhh…a relaxing quiet day on the farm.

Until…the dog develops one million fleas and is up crying and scratching all night.

Until…the milk machine develops an issue and causes black outs in the barn. The disco lighting effect was interesting…but not so when you need to milk goats.

Until…mother barn cat decides to no longer take care of her 2 week old kittens. My first words were, “I am not bottle feeding.” We shall see.

Until…the repairman decides to show up early, and the self-employed husband has been called to the city nearly 2 hours away.

Until…the overnight storms flatten half of the (already) small rose garden.

Until…a small mudslide means you tromp through 3″ deep mud just to get to a fresh water source for the goats and pigs.

Until…the pigs decide to turn over any water trough you enclose in the pen, amounting to the farmer wading through muck just to set things back in place.

Until…Mr. Yellow Tom decides he wants to hang out at the house, not cool for a barn cat that lives on the same property as boxer dogs. And not so cool for me, the short person that is trying to get the boxers to do their “business” while there is a strange man in her kitchen working on her dishwasher.

I’ll stop right here…it has been a truly challenging day.

I hear the echos of so many that have said to me, “I want to live your life.”

Yes, you can mark my words, I wouldn’t trade this for a return to the city. But glamorous it is not. Peaceful…only on certain days. But we’ll work on tomorrow and forget about today.

The life I chose and love. Yes.

If you tell me you are trading your city life for one in the country. I’ll still say, “Go for it!”

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm) | Tagged country life, farm humor, life on the farm | 12 Comments »

A Sweet Reminder

June 2, 2010 by Mary Humphrey

I visited a friend in the hospital today. It was a good visit. We had not seen each other in a long while. The visit ended with the lingering reminder of how much I do love my friend, and how very quickly life passes.

My friend is going to be okay. She will get well. But what if it had gone in the opposite direction?

I have a lot of catching up to do. And I am glad to be reminded. Busyness tends to drag us away from what really matters, if we let it.

Have a beautiful day!

Posted in All In A Day's Time, General Reflections | Tagged Balance In Life, busyness, friendship | 9 Comments »