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Holiday Greetings from Evening Shade Farms

December 2008

Greetings,

These chilly fall days fill my thoughts of a time long ago growing up on a remote Arkansas farm. It was this time of year when preparations were made for butchering hogs. The entire family was involved. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and hogs, made the journey to my Grandmother's house for a week of butchering, sausage making, salting and curing hams and bacons, and rendering lard for soap making. Big cast iron pots, filled with chunks of pork fat were heated on open fires and rendered down, strained and readied for soap making. Into the hot grease we added the lye solution stirring constantly, keeping the fire stoked until the soap thickened.

We made our own lye from wood ash. Our lye hopper was a wooden V-shaped affair lined with straw and put under the eve of the house to take advantage of the rain and snow melting off the roof. The hopper was filled with wood ash and as the water leaches through, it makes a concentrated lye mixture. We would test for strength by putting an egg in the bucket and if it bobbed to the top we knew it was ready. The finished lye was stored and a new bucket was started.

The lye making was my chore, and I better not get distracted or be fickle because our families depended on me for their yearly soap supply. It was the only soap we had, and used it for everything. We all had responsibilities. The equation was simple and basic. We all worked together, adults and children alike, because our lives depended on it. It taught me many important principles that I cherish and live by every day of my life.

Counting the generations of soap makers in the family, we are upon the sixth generation. Sounds European doesn't it? Granted, my humble beginnings have evolved into something quite wonderful and skin nourishing.

Throughout my career as a soap maker, ideas and visions for new products have sprung from nature. These instincts have served me well and were especially in play this past year. Travels through Costa Rica's ginger laden lands, extracting rich golden honey from our bee hives, and finally the discovery of a Prickly Pear patch growing in a small rock outcropping here on the farm, was the inspiration for creating three new and wonderful soaps for this Holiday Season. I've slipped each one into a pretty organza drawstring bag making a practical, elegant and affordable solution to gift giving.

Zoi, my trusted and faithful Austrian Shepherd and I are getting on in years. She and I have both slowed a bit and I must be looking old as friends and customers inquire regarding what they would do for Evening Shade Farm (ESF) products if I were to retire. Members of my family are apprenticing with me to learn the art of soap making so the tradition will continue. As far as retirement, that little dream was wiped away last week, along with the Stock Market, as some of you might have also experienced. Interesting times! So, I go back to my beginnings and am thankful for all I've learned and the ethics that have been instilled. I feel much gratitude to you, and also to my forefathers, and hope I've made both proud.

The decision has been made to eliminate the mailing of our annual Holiday Catalog next year. If you would like to have it mailed, just let us know. Our Catalog can always be downloaded from our website. Workshop and other event schedules will be listed on the site.

All of us at Evening Shade Farms send our warmest wishes, and hope your days are filled with many blessings.

P.S. Please come join us for our 7th annual Holiday Open House, Dec. 13 & 14. (Dec. 13 from 10 am to 4pm and Dec. 14 from Noon to 4pm. Hope to see you there!)

Our special holiday offerings this season include:


Costa Rican Wild Ginger Soap . . . . . . . . 

Tangy ginger warms and stimulates lack-luster skin, leaving it feeling nourished and soft. The spicy aroma makes for a delicious holiday scent. Each bar weighs approximately 3.5 ounces. You can mix and match varieties.

$4.95 each

3 bars for $14.50

Raw Honey Soap
. . . . . . . . 

This soap is the ultimate moisturizer. The Amber and Bergamot oils incorporated in this rich, creamy bar are beneficial for problem skin and is especially kind to sensitive skin as well.

$4.95 each

3 bars for $14.50

Prickly Pear Soap
. . . . . . . . 

This might be the first you've heard of Prickly Pear gel for skin care, but it won't be the last. All parts of the plant are medicinal. I incorporate the inner flesh of the leaves in this fresh, clean smelling formula. Gently cleanses oily skin and conditions and refines large pores. Provides soothing relief for troubled complexions.

$4.95 each

3 bars for $14.50

Annie Clark, photographer and artist, has spent the past year, capturing the essence of our farm. She has created a series of beautiful and strikingly unusual photo notecards of random farm scenes. A set of four (4) notecards with handmade envelopes and descriptions on the back.


Set of 4 Notecards: $9.95 per set

 

 

Gallon jars filled with fragrant Lavender flowers lined the porch this summer, infusing the powerful essence of Lavender oil. Of course, my intention was to turn this into a Lavender Soap and Pillow Spray. Lavender is one of the most natural and effective ways to reduce stress as well as induce a restful sleep. The end result turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined, as described below.

Lavender Soap Bundles . . . . . . . . $5.95

Two purple, marbled bars (4 ounce) come tied and labeled with a silver cord. The perfect gift for only $ 5.95.

Lavender Pillow Spray . . . . . . . . $8.95

Spritz a little Lavender Spray on your pillow, or refresh the whole room with this calming and refreshing Spray.

Lavender Gift Set . . . . . . . . $15.95

Each gift set includes a Lavender Soap Bundle and Pillow Spray topped with a pretty chiffon ribbon. $15.95 each. (FYI: This is a perfect gift set for a bride- or mother-to-be!)

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