A Tribute to the Princess of Potato Valley

She loved me.
She taught me to sew.
She made blankets, lots of blankets,
and dishcloths and slippers and pies.
She enjoyed my company.
She loved lots of people.
We went visiting together when I was young.
She had a "green thumb".
She repurposed things in a seemingly endless amount of ways.
She liked to fish, and to eat fish,
I did not know that, until the day of her funeral.
Her favorite color was pink.
I did not know that either,
and I would not have been able to guess.
Her life was full of so many colors.
The memories of the others cheered me.
Apparently, mixed matched and upside down wallpaper
is a beautiful thing to the people who love you.
She was a master of knitting, crocheting and sewing.
Once, when she was visiting with my children
they were reciting poetry, and she knew every ending!
She taught them a few versions they did not know.
She sang, she sang to children, she sang when she was alone,
mostly she sang for joy and Jesus.
Her garden was a work of art... tin cans, old boards, and lots of vegetables, I wasn't usually allowed to walk in it.
Her ancestors were French.
She was a Leo, and my dad's mom.
She had a pear tree by her steps,
when she moved into the last house of her own she planted two.
The new owners took them down, that made me sad,
but I will always think of her when I preserve pears.
I have tried growing meadow tea, without much success,
and I have had even less success making tea that tastes like hers,
but wild hyssop mint took over my backyard last summer,
perhaps that is the way of it.
Similar things, but different, that is like Grandma and me.
She is a lovely, cultivated, hodge podge, skillful garden,
and I am a hillside of hyssop mint and wild flowers,
growing where God scatters me.
Grandma didn't get angry much, unless her oldest son felt like making merry,
then he would tell her that we came from monkeys, and "she would get all fired up."
Pastor Womer read from Grandma's Bible,
verses that she had marked at some point in the past.

"And the Lord repented of the evil that He thought to do unto His people." Exodus 32:14

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Psalm 33:12a

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." Matthew 27:3-4

We buried her earthly body in an old cemetery, a family plot, a heritage site, beside an orchard, beside a lot of white churches.

Sylva Mae Womer... "Sylva, like in the center of Penn-sylva-nia"

The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

October 13, 2012

Sylvia Mae Womer, 99, Selinsgrove

The Daily Item

— SELINSGROVE – Sylvia Mae Womer, also known as Sylva Mae Womer, 99, entered into eternal rest on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, at The Manor at Penn Village, Selinsgrove.

She was a daughter of the late John L. and Addie Mae (Peters) Maneval, and was born on Aug. 8, 1913, in Mount Pleasant Mills. On Nov. 29, 1929, she was united in marriage to Paul L. Womer, who preceded her on Feb. 21, 1978.

She had worked for various sewing factories and had retired from the Selinsgrove Center as a resident aide.

Mrs. Womer was a member of St. Thomas Independent Brethren in Christ Church, Mount Pleasant Mills.

She cherished her family, especially the infants.

She was talented in sewing, crocheting, knitting and sharing her skills in her love of gardening.

Mrs. Womer will be remembered as always being there to lend a helping hand to others.

Surviving are four children and their spouses, P. Carl Womer, of Mount Pleasant Mills, Erma J. Shelley, of Mount Pleasant Mills, Vern L. and Goldie L. Womer, of Middleburg, and Loren L. and Trisha A. Womer, of Liverpool; 55 wonderful grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Goldie Goodling, of Dauphin; and several generations of nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Womer was preceded by one son, Lee Alvin, in infancy; one son-in-law, Russell J. “Pepsi” Shelley on June 22, 2010; one daughter-in-law, Janet E. Womer on Feb. 21, 1998; five brothers, Paul, Eugene, Ralph, Harry, and Emory Maneval; and two sisters, Annie Smith and Edna Pyle.

The family will receive friends for visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at The George P. Garman Funeral Homes Inc., 9366 Rt. 35, Mount Pleasant Mills, followed by the funeral at 11 with her nephews, the Rev. Elwood “Woody” Maneval and the Rev. Roger L. Womer, officiating.

Burial will be in Richfield Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a memorial gift in loving memory of Mrs. Womer to: St. Thomas Independent Brethren in Christ Church, “Prayer Garden,” 1070 St. Thomas Road, Mount Pleasant Mills, PA 17853.

The family extends their sincere gratitude to all of the staff at the Manor at Penn Village for their love and tender care for the past two and one half years. “You were great and we all appreciate you. God Bless.”

Homeschooling Doesn't Get Much Sweeter Than This!

It's the time of the year when the flowers start blooming, the birds start singing, the gardeners start playing in the dirt, and the bees start swarming! It isn't necessarily the most desirable thing for bees to swarm, unless you can round them back up, in which case you have have another hive full of bees! I have no idea what my beekeeping hubby is going to do this evening, providing the bees stay nearby. In the meantime, our beekeeper apprentice, Chester, is going to keep an eye on things!

A Few More Glimpses

Life on the Farmette

This morning Chester and I sprayed the fruit trees with a mixture of dish soap, rubbing alcohol and water. It is supposed to help keep the bugs away. We also sprinkled some Epsom salts into the soil at their roots, lots of websites recommend its addition. We are new to orchard care, and still need to get the soil tested, but I am excited to try out some of the mild techniques in hopes that they are very effective. This evening we hope to enlarge the asparagus bed. We did plant some over 3 years ago, but we only just realized that it isn't nearly enough for all the asparagus lovers in this household!

We have a hen that insists on going broody, we know from past experience with her that she isn't likely to give up, but this year we don't have any roosters! So, we thought she might just adopt some day old peeps. Jason bought the minimum amount of pullet chicks from Tractor Supply, six, and we tucked them under the hen... no luck. She was not fooled. Ah well, we tried! Now we are raising the six little chicks! We had brought home six other pullet chicks from Tractor Supply a few weeks ago, they are about half grown by now!

I just love starting my days with a cup of coffee and hanging out a line of wash... Normally, laundry is low on my list of favorite things to do, but when the weather is so suitable it becomes one of my favorite pastimes. I think there is something therapeutic about pinning up a row of clothes, and watching them dry in the warm breezes, then gathering them again, so crisp and unwrinkled, every fiber having absorbed the smell of fresh air and sunshine...

The pasture doesn't extend into the honeysuckles and brambles very well yet, and goats love browse, so we try to gather some for them regularly. Hazel insisted on helping. At first, she tried carrying the big bucket, but it was heavy for her. She still insisted until her wagon was brought out. What an exciting job it became!

The goats were very appreciative and Hazel was ready for a break from all that hard work!

We are all learning lots about goat midwifery. The softening of the ligaments, the swelling of the vulva, what the different types of discharge signify, the bagging up of the udder, the change in the appearance of the belly as the kids position themselves for delivery.... all very similar to human obstetrics and gynecology! Most importantly, we need to remember that the gentle mamas need lots of TLC before, during and after their labor of love. We are in awe of the wonders of nature and the many ways it shows the signature and glory of God!

Our little kid was born early in the morning of the 15th. We are calling him "Friend," a tribute to my recently renewed fondness of all things Quaker.

There's lots more to share, but I guess I will save some things for another blog post....

The Best Sunday of the Year! Our Lord is Risen! Happy Easter!

Oh, Yes We Did!

Soap!

For whatever reason, I had a hankering to make some soap from scratch! So we invited a few friends over and whipped up a batch! I love it!!! We made a variety of Castile Soap with a touch of honey and lavender and goat's milk....

This is the recipe we used... (from this link http://www.ehow.com/how_5332683_make-soap-crockpot.html) We did use a few drops of lavender as well as the honey and goat's milk, and we left out the oat flour called for in the original recipe... There is also a link to an instructional video at the bottom of the recipe. The amount of soap made will likely keep our family of eight in bar soap for 2 months... we did make a double batch and shared some, so we probably won't find ourselves running out of homemade soap for 3-4 months...

How to Make Soap in a Crockpot

By Cynthia Myers, eHow Contributor

A crockpot is great for making hot process (cooked) soap because it provides slow, even heat and you don't have to worry about scorching. Hot process soap has a rough, rustic texture and cures in a shorter time than uncooked (cold process) soap. Use your crockpot to make Castile soap---a mild, hard, long-lasting soap made without animal fat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 32 oz. olive oil
• 3 oz. castor oil
• Safety goggles and rubber gloves
• 4.50 oz. lye (by weight)
• 12 oz. water
• Bowl
• Butter knife
• 1 tsp. essential oil or 3 tbsp. honey, and 3 tbsp. canned goat's milk
• Soap mold
• Freezer paper
• ---

• 1
  Turn the crockpot to the high setting and pour in the olive oil and castor oil.
  
  
• 2
  Put on the safety goggles and gloves. In a separate bowl, add the lye to the water---don't do it the other way around or it will foam up or even shoot out of the container and burn you. Sprinkle the lye over the water and stir to dissolve.
  
  
• 3
  Pour the lye and water mixture into the crockpot and stir until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. When you can dribble a little of the mixture on the surface and it rests on top for a few seconds, it's at a consistency known as "trace." Put the lid on the crockpot.
  
  
• 4
  Stir the soap every 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken and foam. When it begins to look like oily mashed potatoes, stick a clean butter knife in it. If the knife comes out coated with a waxy substance, your soap is ready.
  
  
• 5
  Add fragrances or other additives. Add 1 tsp. essential oil, and/or add 3 tbsp. honey mixed with 3 tbsp. canned goat milk. This makes a sweet-smelling, honey-oatmeal soap. Stir well after adding any additional ingredients.
  
  
• 6
  Pour the soap into a mold lined with freezer paper. You can use a purchased soap mold or improvise with an ice cream carton, milk carton, small shoebox or small plastic storage container. Line any of these with freezer paper and pour in the soap. Smooth the top and let sit for 24 hours.
  
  
• 7
  Unmold the soap. Cut into bars or chunks if desired. Let the soap cure, or dry, for several weeks before you use it or wrap it to give as gifts.
  
  

Tips & Warnings

• If the soap separates too much, use an immersion blender to mix it up while it's still in the crockpot. This soap has a rustic, rough surface. You can trim the bars with a knife to make them smoother if you like. Make oat flour by grinding 1/4 cup oatmeal in a blender until fine.
• Lye is an extremely caustic substance and must be handled with care. Always mix slowly and pour carefully. Keep lye containers out of reach of children and pets.

Resources

• Crockpot soap (video)

My Favorite Famous Homeschoolers

Homeschooling has always been our number one education choice for our children, but we have always tried to keep our thoughts open to better options, if they exist. We are extremely unimpressed with the public and private schooling options in our area, so that really helps to sway our decision. Even so, from time to time, I refer to the experiences of others for encouragement. In so doing, I am not trying to put any of my children in a box of "must end up famous," but I am encouraged that each child will reach their full potential under our loving guidance and God's almighty hand... here are a few of my favorite homeschooled examples...

Thomas Edison

George Washington

Beatrix Potter

Abraham Lincoln

There are many long lists of "famous homeschoolers," but these four stand out to me because they each qualify as receiving the majority of their education from a non-institutional source, and because of their diversity. They have very little in common besides extraordinary minds that were shaped by love and a lifetime of learning.

What came to mind for me was the possibility that the era for great achievers who were schooled at home is in the past, but alas, that is not the case...

http://www.thebestcolleges.org/the-worlds-15-most-extraordinary-homeschoolers/

I am humbled to admit that I do not have complete confidence in our (me and my husband) ability to be the perfect teachers, but I do have complete confidence in the fact that our choices as parents are governed by our love for our children and our own love of learning, and those two things, throughout history, are the springboard to the stars! The sky is not even the limit! Although, I would be perfectly content if my children never made the great pages of history, but choose rather to live simply and love divinely. I am not opposed to great ambition, but I do not think that true success is measured by it. In my opinion, true success is measured by how much of one's life is governed by altruistic love.

Midwinter, Really?

The weather here today was flirting with 60 and sunny! What a midwinter treat!

When I made the homemade popsicles some time ago, power packed with "secret" ingredients like kefir and sambucus, I had thoughts of sore throats in mind, but eating them outside on the sunny porch in good health is so much nicer!

These boots were made for walking running!