A long, hard day

by Zia ~ January 12th, 2007. Filed under: Soapmaking.

What do you mean, play some more?

No, thanks. We need to sleep now.

9 Responses to A long, hard day

  1. Shirley Buxton

    Once I visited a friend who had a pug puppy, and I so ranted and raved over him that on my birthday, here my friend and my daughter came with my very own puppy, tiny, soft and wrinkled.

    We named him Zak, and he was all heart. He was not cuddly at all, but wiggly and always wanting to play at chasing sticks. I literally never saw him ever stop at a game. He would run, jump, bring back sticks, snatch at water thrown high in the air from a hose…He was a joy.

    A few years later, he became crippled and had to be put down. In the Buxton home, we cried.

    Enjoyed your site.

    Blessings,

    Shirley Buxton
    http://www.writenow.wordpress.com

  2. Charlotte

    Zia, your pugs are beautiful. My English grandmother had pugs and bassets - in large amounts, she was deeply doggy, so much so that she often called her children by her dogs’ names - and the pugs were always tremendously appealing.

  3. Kit

    Hi Zia I just saw your comment on Charlotte’s Green Meme. I would really like to know how you make your lye soap - is it easy, is it animal fat based and very smelly..could I do it too?!

  4. Zia

    Charlotte, I think I would have liked your grandmother! Aren’t pugs wonderful? Harry Potsticker is mine; he is the one in the back. Augie is the one in the front. He has the fattest face I’ve ever seen, even on a pug! Augie seems to be like Zak, Shirley, very wiggly. Harry is my snuggle puggle (you see how ridiculous I’ve become); he wants to do nothing more than be held and petted. Shirley, I’m so sorry you had to put him down. It’s been a constant fear with Harry; he was a rescue and has many health issues (mainly stemming from his previous owner who liked to punch him in the face.)

  5. Zia

    Hi Kit,

    Making soap is soooooo easy, and it’s very addictive too. I haven’t made any soaps from animal fat–not because I have a prejudice against it, but mainly because vegetable oils are more readily accessible than lard. I think it IS smellier and there’s not much you can do about it.

    Getting started is the toughest part of making soap. Detailed instructions (and recipes too on the site) here: http://www.soapnuts.com/indexsoap.html

    But once you get started, you’ll marvel at how easy it is, and wonder why you never did it before. It took me ten years to work up the courage to work with lye. Now, I’m just careful about wearing protective gear and it’s fine. Good luck!

  6. Kit

    Thanks Zia - I’ll go and look up the instructions now. I had a look through your soap recipes and they looked good enough to eat! I’ll let you know how it goes - might take me a while to pluck up courage if lye is scary stuff - I have a four year old who is bound to want to help!

  7. Kit

    Just had a look at the instructions - I think I’ll definitely have to wait a couple of years or else get myself a child-proof laboratory! I’m definitely interested though.

  8. kimbofo

    Oh my. They are ***ADORABLE***

  9. Zia

    Kit, don’t let the lye scare you off. you really only have it out for an hour or so, and if you make sure to set it out of reach, you’ll be fine!

    kimbofo, thanks! Unfortunately, Augie has gone home and Harry is bereft.

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