Hey tentfire!!!

[dsmith]

I understand that you make soap. I would love for you to tell us about it. My dad used to make lye soap. He always loved to make homemade things like that. By the way, how is your knee doing??

[tentfire]

Knee is still pretty painful, but healing a tiny bit more each day, thank you. Swelling is down to double now instead of triple. Not too bad except for when the knee cap slides around. Trying to work the stiffness out now. My hip on the other side, where I landed, I think I hurt worse than I initially thought.

What kinds of lye soaps did your dad make? Did he make any with pureed fruits? That is what I have been researching and trying to figure out how to incorporate into one this week. Someone gave me some overripe lemons (not spoiled) and I want to put them into a deep cleaning, fresh smelling soap. I make several different kinds of glycerin and lye soaps for bathing and general purpose, then there is the one that is a laundry stick, one I grind up and make into laundry soap, and, of course, my multi-purpose camping soap and the fish bait ones. Couldn't pour over the winter, nature wasn't cooperating, but that is what I am working on hard and fast right now while we have a nice warm spell (in between storms). So I won't be on here much for a couple of days. But I will post pics and descriptions as I pour and slice if anyone would like.

[dsmith]

Not sure what he did. I just watched. Growing up, when dad did something, I wasn't far behind. I adored my parents and really miss them. I was daddy's little girl.
But when he made soap, I remember him telling me to stand back as the lye was dangereous. He made it in a huge iron pot out back. Poured it in cardboard boxes. I don't think he put fruit in it. That is a great idea. I'll bet it smells good.
Your knee has to be very painful. Has a dr seen you yet? I know how that is to try to get in to a dr. I hope you start healing soon.

[tentfire]

Sounds like you were blessed with great parents. Hearing about parents like that always warms my heart! Yes, the lye can be VERY dangerous. Had a couple of close calls myself this week, but all ended well. (Hoping the rain washes and dilutes it off of my storage building.)

That batch of Lemon Soap I made (with pureed whole lemons) I really messed up.... most soaps you have to heavily insulate to get them to go through their final stage to saponify correctly and smoothly. But every now and then, the ingredients used will cause it to heat up so fast, that if you insulate too much, it will all separate out, which is what this one did! Ugh!! It was a gooey, oily mess! But it was fixable, yet a pain. I dumped it all back in the pot, recooked it (reclaimed it is what it is called), poured it back into a mold, and it came out great! After it cures a little while I will post a picture. It ended up with a really light, fresh lemon scent.

My leg/knee/other hip is very slowly healing, still has a long way to go, but getting there and has come a long way so far. I never could get into the clinic, but I will have to go to my regular one soon for a check up and I will have him check it then. There is about 4 places on it that are messed up, one obviously fractured (car vibrations kill it!). And, after awhile, I figured out that my foot was swelling up, not because of my knee, but because something in it was out of place, too. Getting around the house now without crutches, and just using one around the yard. Down to just tylenol and not pain killers, too. LOL, it is so stiff, though, that I walk like I have one shoe on and one shoe off ..... up/down/up/down/up ..... LOL Doing old therapy exercises to work it back out. Little improvements, each and every day, it will just take some time. Only days that are bad now are the ones where I get up in the morning and the knee cap has slid over while I slept.

[dsmith]

You are a trooper!!!!!!!!!!!!! You sound like me. I don't let a whole lot get me down. Take care of yourself and don't over do it.

[tentfire]

That not overdoing it is easier said than done. But I am calling it a day early tonight and getting some sleep. That being out piddling around in foot deep snow sure can drain ya. Had to dig out my firewood for one thing.

And thanks. It doesn't do any good to let stuff get you down. ... doesn't get anything accomplished..... Sure you can fuss, fret and fume for a moment, get it out of your system, then you have to get back up and keep going, even if it is a little slower. I always figured that if you stopped, your body stops, and no one wants that. LOL, I even baffle the doctors at times.... they can't figure out how I am still doing some of the things I am still doing. I just looked the last one in the eye, when he was so puzzled at how fast I have snapped back from a heart attack(a year ago) and said, "I didn't listen when you said to not do this and not do that. I did it anyway, just a whole lot slower until I built back up." Someone recently compared me to a Timex and the Energizer bunny.... they just shook their head one day and said, "No matter how many licks you take, you just keep going, and going, and going."