Pear in a bottle!?

Quick note ~ new bag in the shoppe!

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Can you guess how we got the pear in the bottle?

Take a guess and then head over to The Barnyard

to find out how we did it!

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"This is a great mystery.."

Ephesians 5:32

In the Millennium

" ..the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."

Isaiah 35:1

What I've been up to today...

Peaches and Purses

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The peaches are in the pantry...

The purse is in the shoppe!

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"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands...
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:...
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it;...
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
Various from Proverbs 31

Joy and Peace

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"For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

Isaiah 55:12

Sharing...

...three things ~

1. The Homemade Automatic Dish Detergent that I made

has not lived up to my expectations!

While fun, easy and inexpensive to make,

the dishes are clean but the glassware is turning cloudy.

Even using white vinegar as a rinse aid does not help!

Back to the drawing board!

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2. New recipe in The Pantry!

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3. July "Garden Rhapsodies" Garden Tour pictures in The Garden!

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"Do not neglect doing good and sharing;

for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Hebrews 13:16

You are worth much

"Consider the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Homemade Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

I ran out of my favorite Automatic dishwashing powder and haven't been able to find it anywhere. (Mrs. Meyers) I could order it online but it is way too expensive plus shipping!

So, I found some recipes for homemade and I am giving them a try.

This first recipe is:

1 part Borax

1 part Baking Soda

3 drops essential oil

I am using Lavender essential oil for its anti-biotic properties

and because that is what I had!

(I do love the smell)

Mix together and store in airtight container.

To use;

Just add 1 Tablespoon to the covered dispenser and 1 Tablespoon to the open one.

I have read that some people experience cloudy dishes with a film that must be washed off with

dish soap, and others have had no problem. It is recommended that White Vinegar be used as a rinse aid ~ just fill the dispenser in place of the commercial type.

I have washed two loads with my mix and so far am quite pleased.

I'll let you know if I change my mind!

After this batch is used up, I think I will try making the liquid type.

Have any of you ever made your own?

I would love to hear about it.
~*~

"Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Psalm 51:7

Flour Sacks, Friends and Gooseberry Jam

Do you know someone who is always willing to go out of their way for a friend? What about someone they have never even met? I do! Sharon is just such a person! She had commented on someone's blog about getting her flour from a nearby mill and it came in fabric sacks! I have only found flour in paper sacks and thought these fabric ones would be terrific for sewing or craft projects! To make a long story short, after several emails back and forth and much decision making (on my part) she went to the mill and got me two of each design and mailed them to me ~ along with a jar of her homemade Gooseberry Jam :~P and a little crocheted hot pad!

Thank you so much, dear Sharon! What fun it was to open that

delightful package with all the flour sacks and especially

the jam and little hot pad~ all tucked inside

the pattern tissue!

Here are the four designs that were available. The Blue Bird one is my favorite!

Now I have to decide just what I want to make with them!

Some ideas I had were:

totes, child's jumper, pillow or apron.

Sharon suggested clothespin bags or breadsacks! (I love these ideas!)

Do you have any suggestions for a creative use for these sweet sacks?

I would love to hear them!

Thank you again Sharon, for being such a sweet blogging friend!
Won't you please go over and meet this sweet lady with a heart for serving others!

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"A friend loves at all times."

Proverbs 17:17

(companion post in The Reading Room.)

New recipe in The Pantry

Wisdom...

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"Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace."

Proverbs 3:17

The Road Less Traveled

Gentleman Farmer has the week off from work and because our car is

"on it's last leg," we thought we would stick pretty close to home

and just do some "day tripping!"

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Our journey first led us down I-5 to Centralia where we stopped to visit the

historic Borst Home.

( I just found a local fellow blogger who has several posts on the Borst Home

and the history. She has many wonderful pictures of the inside of the home

and the history, also, if you would like to go over there and take a peek!

Look at her sidebar and start with "part 1")

The Borst Home

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Some of the gardens, created by the Master Gardeners program

featuring plants that may have been planted by the Borst family.

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Below ~ the Bird and Butterfly Garden

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The Cutting Garden

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The Herb Garden

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Grapes

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The Vegetable Garden

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The Flower Garden

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Hollyhocks ~ one of my favorite flowers...

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and someone else likes them, too!

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The Schoolhouse

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The Blockhouse

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After our visit to the Borst Home and gardens, Gentleman Farmer and I

continued down the road and turned onto Hwy. 6, (This is where "the road less traveled

comes in!) cruising along beautiful forest and farmland.

Arriving in Raymond, we turned South and stopped at an antique store in South Bend

then drove a little further to the seaside vacation cabin of a friend.

On our return to South Bend, off on the left we spotted several

Roosevelt Elk that are often seen feeding in this area.

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Instead of following Hwy. 6 back,we continued north thru

Raymond and up Hwy. 101 to Montesano.
We are taking all the back roads ~ the sights are much more interesting there!

From Montesano, we take the Middle Satsop Road and drive to

Shaffer State Park. Another good place to get out and stretch our legs.

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Big Leaf Maple's in the picnic area.

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The lazy (for now) Satsop River.

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Time to head toward home via the nearly deserted back road to Matlock.

We come upon a doe feeding as we checkout the Beeville Loop Road.

It's starting to get dark now, so we head for home.

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Upon arriving home, we are greeted by our doe and two fawns.

It was nearly dark, but if you look really hard, you can see her and one

baby's eyes reflecting the flash!

So ends our pleasant day following The Road Less Traveled!

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"Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."

Proverbs 3:17

Watching

"Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching"

Luke 12:37