mjkisner – Page 32 – Mary's Musings

The Unscented Choice

Over the last few months, I have encountered a few folks that have commented that they prefer unscented products, or had a preference for certain scents in the things I’ve made. Since I’m usually not selling my products, it hasn’t been an issue…my feelings aren’t hurt when my gifts have been turned down. When I think about it, I’ve added scents to a few of my products that could have been left unscented. Curious!

When I look back over the last 10 months of web posting, many of my body products either start with an organic olive oil that has been infused with either calendula flowers or lavender buds; or they begin with beeswax and shea butter that also have their own subtle scents. To those products, I add a scent or two…not just for the smell but for the healing properties of the essential oils.

Dried calendula flowers add a scent to olive oil, along with healing properties.

Lavender buds add a subtle scent to olive oil along with healing properties.

My soaps all start with a melt-and-pour soap base of some kind…my favorite is an aloe vera base. I also use goat’s milk, shea butter and a clear glycerine base. Each of these has a mild scent, with probably the glycerine soap base as the least scented.

Just a few of the soap base choices out there.

My specific interest has been in the various healing properties of the essential oils that I add to all these products. The natural bug spray used 5 different scents of essential oils! (https://marykisner.com/natural-bug-repellent-for-dogs/)

The natural bug spray used 5 different essential oils…all disliked by bugs!

My latest product was the travel soap tin that had an insert to allow a small bar of soap to dry better between uses. Since the focus of the product was the tin with insert, the kind of soap included really didn’t matter. I first used my aloe vera soap:

So, while I was thinking about unscented products, I grabbed a 1-pound chunk of clear organic glycerine soap from my stash and melted it down in two glass containers.

The first container I left absolutely plain. Hopefully, the mild scent of the glycerine soap would be OK for folks that preferred unscented. The second container I added a yellow soap tint and citrus blend essential oil just for variety. I now have a way to offer the travel soap tin to someone who prefers unscented. That felt good!

I will try to pay attention to where I use scents in my products, or at least mention ways to leave them unscented if possible. I also make a point to include a card with each item that tells exactly what is in each product. For example, when I made the eye pillows for headaches or toothaches, I added lavender buds to the flax seeds so when they were heated in the microwave they smelled good. It would be just as easy to leave the lavender buds out…the flax seeds are what held the heat/cold. (https://marykisner.com/making-a-hot-or-cold-eye-pillow-for-headaches-or-toothaches/)

As time goes on, I’m sure I’ll find other ways to reconfigure my products without scents. At the moment, I will continue to identify all the ingredients in my stuff so folks can make their own choices. Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Recycling Greeting Cards into a Placemat

I have a file drawer jammed full with assorted greeting cards…that have arrived over the last year FREE from assorted charities and organizations. I have enough to send a birthday card, a get-well card, a thinking-of-you card, a thank you card and a card with a pretty picture where I can write my own message…to everyone I know for the rest of my life! And they keep coming! I can hardly wait for the influx of Christmas Cards to arrive.

I was ready to pitch them all until I went to a meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Company last week. One of our members mentioned she was almost out of Get-Well cards that she sends to our members and others as needed. Another woman said she uses cards to make placemats. My goodness! I have cards!! So, I came home and cleaned out the drawer.

Mixed in with all the free cards are the ones I have purchased over the years. I try to pick up ones with photographs made by local artists and they are blank inside. I find these at almost every craft show I go to. Some are good to cheer people up; others are low key for folks that are sad. I put these cards back in the drawer.

Now the drawer looks like something I can handle!

Next, I looked up making placemats using greeting cards and found one tutorial that used circles cut from the cards. They were mounted on card stock and laminated with clear Contact paper. So, I headed to WalMart.

I found the card stock in office supplies but couldn’t figure out where to find the sticky clear Contact paper. Office supplies? Nope. Craft supplies? Nope. I finally asked someone. It is with the home furnishing stuff…with the kitchen drainers, etc. Who knew Contact came in all different colors and patterns to use as drawer and shelf liners. Boy am I out of touch!

While I was sorting out cards, I picked out nine Birthday cards that had pictures of flowers. I used a circle template and drew around the flowers I wanted to use.

I cut out the circles and played with the arrangement. One card had a nice rectangular image, so I made that the center.

I used two 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of card stock and taped them together (on the back) as my base.

Once I liked the arrangement, I used glue stick to keep them from shifting while I used the Contact paper.

I did the back first. Then I flipped it over and attempted to do the front. No small challenge to get it started. Somehow, it seemed to work in spite of my technique with just a few wrinkles. I trimmed around the edge and I now have a pretty placemat.

I was feeling pretty smug about my success and decided to try another one using pictures from a Greyhound calendar. (Just so you know…being SMUG is dangerous!!)

I ended up having enough pictures to make two placemats, with the larger pictures as my center focus. However, getting the Contact paper to go on smoothly was a real PAIN! It was determined to wrinkle and stick everywhere I didn’t want it to! From a distance, not too bad. Up close they were a wrinkled mess. I think the calendar paper was not as sturdy as the cards so they refused to stay flat. Anyway, I did it. Not sure if I’ll make any more, but I can say I tried!

So, if you are getting free cards in the mail and don’t use them, look for folks who do use them…or try making a placemat! If you have any tips about using clear Contact I could use them!! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Garden Update October 3, 2021

The weather is finally feeling like fall and our garden tasks change from production to preservation and clean up. The only food item left in the garden is carrots, and we’ll dig them up as we need them. Take a look at things today:

The planter I used for lettuce and radishes is at rest until next spring.

The spearmint is drooping a little but we’ll enjoy it until the first frost.

We planted the lemon grass late this summer. Not sure what to do with it yet.

Chamomile was buried under the lemon balm, but it’s still green.

The stevia and lemon balm are trimmed for the winter.

I cut the basil off, but the rosemary is still looking good.

I may still harvest some thyme from these plants.

Bert emptied the rain barrels by the shop and today he’s draining the big tank out into the grass.

Up in the garden the only plants left are the carrots and the lavender. We’ll use the carrots over the next two months. Not sure if the lavender will come back next year.

The large butternut trees are two different varieties and the one on the left loses its leaves first.

But the redbud trees have shown no sign of changing color or dropping their leaves.

The lavender I picked during the summer is finally dry enough to rub off the buds.

Here’s the bag of lavender buds ready for me to use in sachets.

Some of the echinacea seed heads were ready to pick.

The green and wax beans are dried and ready for soup.

The tomatoes are processed into sauce…ready for pizza or spaghetti.

So that’s the end of the adventure of the Kisner’s garden for 2021. This year we tried to grow only what we will eat or at least are willing to weed and preserve! Who knows what the seed catalogs in the spring will entice us to try? Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Travel Soap that Works!

By now you know that my favorite bar of hand soap is my Aloe Vera soap that I make myself (see https://marykisner.com/a-healing-aloe-vera-soap/). That’s great when I’m mostly washing my hands at home. However, when I go out of town…like I was this past weekend…I really wanted to have my soap with me. I was already taking small sample size soaps with me to give out at the conference, but without a way to use one in the hotel room I was stumped. The bar really needed to sit on something so it could dry between uses.

I did have 2 oz. tin containers about 2″ round that would easily hold the small bar. Then I needed some way to keep it up off the bottom of the container while it dried. I found I had a sheet of plastic canvas grid that is used with yarn to make coasters. I marked off a few 2″ squares and cut them out. Trimming the corners slightly allowed the plastic to just fit in the bottom of the tin. The small bar of soap just fit and enough air could circulate around it so it dried between uses.

The tin was small enough to fit in my cosmetic bag, and I was able to leave it open beside the hotel sink to dry. My hands were very happy!

When I got home, of course I wanted to make more of these to give as gifts. I found several bars of Aloe Very soap that I had made recently. Instead of starting from scratch I decided to remelt these bars and pour them into smaller molds.

Since I had 3-4 bars of two different colors, I melted them separately.

These bars were originally colored with calendula petals. One batch got a little darker than the other.

These bars had originally been colored with a drop of green soap tint.

I added a few extra drops of essential oil, just to refresh the scent…

…and I poured them into small heart-shaped molds.

These plastic grids just fit into the tins.

First, I wrapped each soap in plastic wrap to keep it dry until I gave it someone. Then I dropped the plastic grid piece into the tin. With a label on the back of the tin it’s ready to be a gift!

My solution for a travel soap worked great!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Greyhounds in Gettysburg Conference

I just spent the last four days in the company of wonderful greyhound owners, beautiful dogs and dedicated volunteers at the Greyhounds in Gettysburg conference! Just wanted to say, “Thank You” to all for making me feel welcome!

I was attending the conference to share our Hound Care products that will be sold through Nittany Greyhounds eventually. Our three products, that you may have learned about on this website, include a salve for the dog’s paws; a soothing aloe vera shampoo bar; and a natural bug repellent. You can read about the products under the Greyhound category on my Welcome Page or you can find an overview of the products at https://marykisner.com/greyhounds-still-in-my-heart/.

I’d like to give you an overview…from my perspective…of the conference. I was not able to see or participate in all of it, because I was a vendor for the products, so I felt I should interact with folks that came my way and were interested in these products. However, since I did not have a dog with me (like many vendors did) I also did not participate in their outdoor activities or attend the various sessions that were focused on issues of interest to dog owners. I’m sure Nittany Greyhounds will post some summaries of these activities.

Events

A few of the events I did attend was the parade and picnic at a nearby Outlet Mall on the first day. I’m always amazed how well-behaved a large group of greyhounds can be. It was a beautiful day and owners and dogs had a chance to catch up with friends. Here are a few pictures:

I think this is a Windsprite…which is like a hairy Whippet…a small sight hound.

Another event that was fun for owners and dogs was a Mexican-themed buffet and party. A band provided great music while we ate. I had a dog on the floor beside me, and another across the table. That one made me laugh! I’ll bet he thought if he stayed real still on the matching black tablecloth we might not notice his interest in the plates of food nearby! So cute!

Costume Contest

On Saturday, there was a costume contest. Owners and dogs that participated were dressed up and paraded around the Event Center. I got drafted to be a judge! Here are a few of the entries…with explanations as necessary:

I think this group said they represented, “Where’s Waldo?”

I think this was a reindeer…from a very dedicated knitter!

This dedicated owner and dog in matching “Punk” costumes made me smile. She said he/she really didn’t mind being dressed up.

Vendors

There were about 58 vendors at this conference. The focus for all of them was the greyhounds. Folks that could bake, sew, knit, craft with wood, take photographs, make jewelry, design t-shirts, etc. all geared their products to this audience. There was even an artist that worked with a 3D printer to make small statues customized to a specific dog. An amazing collection of crafts, products and services for the greyhounds and owners. Here are just a few pictures…there were so many I could make a scrapbook!

My display was positioned right in front of the various fences that were used by Nittany’s volunteers for their own dogs. I felt like I was overseeing a Doggy Day Care. It was great! These well-behaved dogs slept most of the time. Their owners were all wearing bright orange t-shirts, so if the dogs saw one going by they checked to see if it was their “person.” If not, they went back to sleep.

They were an attraction to visitors and dogs walking by…all wanted to know if they were available for adoption (absolutely not!). All visitors were greeted warmly and eagerly awaited a pat on the head.

Finally, one of the last dogs I saw was this one…kind of shocking! Apparently, the owner is a groomer and wanted to attract attention! I guess it worked, but I’m not sure how this full-size pink poodle fit into the conference! Go figure!

Guess I’d rather remember this family of greyhounds!

A very special weekend for me surrounded by greyhounds!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Fall Door Quilt

Our weather is finally feeling like Fall…good thing, it arrives tomorrow, September 22.

That means I finally got motivated to change up the decoration on my front door. For those of you new to my blogging adventure, I’ve had trouble finding a wreathe for my front door that was skinny enough to not get smashed by the screen door. Last Christmas I gave up and decided to make appropriate small quilts to hang on the door. They stayed flat and didn’t get smashed. Success!

Here are the ones I’ve done this year so far:

If you would like to read about each one, check the index on the Welcome page and scroll to Door Quilts. They should all appear there in order…just scroll down to the article you’re looking for.

I did notice the colors of the blocks faded after two months on the front door, so next year I can just make a different block if I want.

This Fall door quilt was a challenge because I didn’t have a single piece of orange fabric in my stash. Obviously, I have not used orange at all for a long time. To the rescue…JoAnn Fabrics and their “fat quarters” so I could have a few. I also spent time trying to be creative, something like a crazy quilt, but obviously I ended up with a simple star pattern:

This pattern is called a Sawtooth Star in one book:

However, when I looked up that name in another book, these two blocks showed up:

The one on the left is named, “Saw Toothed Star”; the one on the right is called, “Free Trade”. Go figure!

If you notice, the arrangement of triangles and squares is similar to mine, except the central block is solid.

Oh well, I hand-pieced the block and then machine quilted around the pieces. They are not my favorite colors, but I guess they work for Halloween. I may have to do another one for November and then I can use the Christmas Stocking from last year in December.

Actually, I don’t think this block looks too bad on the front door! Enjoy!

Please comment, or email me directly if you have questions at marykisner@comcast.net.

Remembering Patty and her Italian Bread

I pulled out my recipes today to make some Italian bread. It’s been a while so when I found the recipe I was reminded of my sister-in-law, Patty…my big brother’s first wife. She was a real sweetheart and my mentor when I started my own family.

Here’s an early picture with two of their kids, Eric and Pam. Paul, Todd and Teresa rounded out their wonderful family by the early 1980’s. We were sorry to lose her in 1984, but my memories keep her in my heart to this day.

In 1980, Ted, Kathy and I spent a few days with my brother’s family on the farm in northern Pennsylvania. We borrowed my sister’s motor home while she was out of town and had an adventure going to Uncle Mark’s farm.

Ted was four and a half and Kathy was three. Such sincere smiles!

We parked the motor home in the backyard of the farm house and enjoyed visits with the barn cats and the cousins. Early on the first morning, we were awakened by sheep sounds. What a surprise to look out the window and see we had been surrounded by a whole flock of sheep! That was the beginning of our adventure!

Of course, this post is about making Italian bread so let me just say every time I make this recipe, I’m reminded of those days visiting the farm. Patty was always baking something and I was inspired by her ability to whip out this Italian bread or homemade pizza crust in a flash. We had many conversations about baking with whole wheat flour and making our own yogurt. Great memories!

So…here is the recipe for her Italian bread:

When I make bread, I often start with the liquid ingredients and then add flour. This recipe starts with all the flour in the bowl and then adds the liquid ingredients. I had forgotten this, but it worked out just fine.

At this point, I dumped the dough out onto the floured table, gave it a few “kneads” and put it an oiled bowl to rise.

An hour later, the dough had raised to the top of the bowl.

I shaped it into two long loaves and let it raise on the pan.

After 40 minutes the dough was almost over the side of the pan so it went into a hot oven (400 degrees). In 20 minutes the whole kitchen smelled great!

Of course, before I could get a picture of the loaves, SOMEONE had to have a chunk!

So that’s the story of Patty’s Italian bread recipe, memories and all! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Wonderful Lunch with High School Friends!

It’s been 57 years since I graduated from high school (hard to imagine, I know!). My small circle of close friends from those days are now scattered around the world and of course, many have passed on. However, a core group of folks who stayed or returned to the area, like Bert and I did, have managed to maintain or reestablish friendships over the years. Some of our parents stayed in the area and provided that link for many of us to connect again.

I’m not sure how long this group of women has been getting together once a month, but I discovered the group after our 50th high school reunion. What fun this has been for me!

Each month we meet at a local restaurant and enjoy an hour or two of great conversation. This month we met at Way Fruit Farm just outside of State College.

I took a lot of pictures and then discovered their website had similar pictures with detailed descriptions of how they started and the many activities they offer for the public. I had no idea they had been in business since 1826! Six generations have been on the property for almost 200 years and each generation has expanded or updated their products and the way they sell or distribute them.

If you are interested in learning more about them, check their website for their history and current offerings at www.wayfruitfarm.com. They are on Rt. 550 just north of State College.

While I waited for the girls to arrive for lunch, I took a few pictures around their store. They have certainly expanded since I was here last.

Seasonal items, from pumpkins to apple butter.

Great diagram of what produce is available and when.

Huge cabbages for sale…looked like bowling balls!

Pancake mixes, local maple syrup and honey.

Bulk baking items, like flour and sugar, so you can bake with all that yummy produce!

Local artists have a place to share their photos.

Even old fashioned “penny candy” for sale.

Old fashioned soda…just like we remember from years ago.

The lunch counter offers soups, sandwiches and baked goods to order.

With our group of 13 coming, we needed to move some tables together!

Very informal picture of some of us…I’ll keep it small!

This was a great way to rekindle old friendships and enjoy a good lunch! Thanks to all my old and new friends from high school for great conversation!

Check out local farm markets near you…you may find hidden treasures of food and fun! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Stopping by 224 Ridge Ave., State College

For several years I’ve been wanting to stop by the home I grew up in (224 Ridge Avenue) to take some pictures. My family moved to State College in 1947. My sister, Jean, was ten years old and my brother, Mark, was seven. I was born in November of 1946, so I was just six months old when we moved from New Jersey.

When my mother passed away in 1988, Dad moved to Foxdale Village in State College. The home has had several owners in the last 30 years and it has been remodeled and updated over those years. While Dad had some contact with the folks that first bought the house from him, after a year or two he felt he didn’t need to stay in touch with subsequent owners.

The house was a Sears, Roebuck & Co. craftsman home built in 1926. Here are some pictures I have of the house around the 1950’s.

The back porch with Paul, Jean, Ruth and me! Mark must have taken the picture.

The side yard. The house next door had not been built yet.

The front yard looking toward Atherton Street. Check out the car on the street!

In the 1960’s Dad had the house remodeled inside and out. The front porch was enclosed with huge windows and a fireplace. The back porch was turned into a landing that led to an enclosed room with lots of windows that became Dad’s office. I don’t know exactly how long the construction lasted, I just remember having to step over construction materials as I went through the back door in my senior prom dress!

The front door was relocated to the left side of the house.

I’ve been able to check the property out on Google over the years and lately I noticed the most recent renovation drastically changed the roof line of the house. Obviously, an addition to the back of the house increased the living space of the structure. I think a second story was added to the room my Dad used as an office. Here are two screen shots from Google maps:

Side view. You can see the windows of the dining room, but I don’t think the footprint of the house has been changed.

I stopped by the house this week to take some pictures. I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. So much for thinking I could see the inside of the house!

First, I checked out the front steps…I know when the concrete was poured on the steps in the 1960’s, I signed my initials and placed a 1964 penny there. I guess it’s been covered up. These steps look much better!

I saw this plaque by the front door:

From the porch, looking down the driveway to the garage, the view is certainly filled with green plants.

When I turned around to go to the front sidewalk, I realized how HUGE the tree in the front yard was! I don’t even remember if there was a tree there at all. There may have been a large pine tree there when I was much younger. This tree has to be almost 30 years old, but it’s beautiful.

The people living here certainly like lots of plants and privacy hedges.

When I stood back closer to the curb to take a side picture, I can barely see the brick chimney on the right with the overhang from the tree in the front yard. Yellow siding and white painted brick certainly changes the whole look of the house. However, it is the best kept house on the block.

The Adams house next door is still there but doesn’t look like it’s been upgraded at all. Next to that is the brick apartment house on the corner of Burrows Street. From the evidence of assorted stuff outside the house, it looks like student housing.

As I drove down Atherton Street toward Boalsburg I was stopped at the light at Atherton and College Avenue. Imagine my surprise to see giant high rise apartment buildings on either side of the intersection! Things have certainly changed! I guess I should drive through town now and then just to keep up!

I guess things stay the same only in our memories! To my family, I hope you enjoyed the updated pictures of 224 Ridge Avenue! To everyone else, treasure the memories you have of the places you’ve lived! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Adding Vintage Lace Edging to Ornaments

Seems silly to be starting a project for Christmas in September…I know! However, anyone who hand crafts gifts knows that NOW is the time to get started. It’s barely 100 days until Christmas. All the ads for Joann Fabrics and Michaels Crafts stores advertise their patterns and supplies to make gifts and are already encouraging crafters to get started. Television ads show the latest, most desirable toys we should look for soon. The catalogs are arriving with special gifts we could choose for our holiday giving. So, I have begun making my gift ornaments!

Now that I’ve made my trek to Apple Hill Antiques and assembled what I need to make unique ornaments I thought I’d follow up the last post with a sample of what I’m making.

I shared my first “test” ornament:

Then, I assembled my base fabrics. I had these on hand and thought they would showcase the lace pieces…and would be good Christmas colors.

The first ornament I made last week (shown above) was based on a 3 1/2″ square. After turning it right side out, I decided to make the rest based on a 4 1/2″ square. It was easier to turn and gave me room to place a button in the center.

I have quite a collection of buttons, some vintage, others I just like. They give a focus to each piece.

I finished six ornaments and then decided to set up my display tree to see how they looked.

Bert made this simple tree for me many years. It is made of dowel rods and a sturdy base. Unassembled, it tucks into a corner without taking up too much space.