A Sad Day around here

Today, I had to make a very difficult decision: I decided to have Calvin put to sleep. He had a heart murmer, tyroid issue and a chronic skin bacteria that caused him to have sores all over. The past week, he has slept and not eaten much, whimpered, and had to be helped to go to the bathroom.
I got Calvin as a birthday present when I was 14, the summer before my freshman year in high school. I named him Calvin the Spastic Zippy Wonder Dog. He has been through so much with me and when I was growing up, we referred to him as our therapy dog. He cheered mom up during chemo treatments, let me cry many times in his fur, would pull crazy stunts to make up laugh, he was even a master of the "hot dog hunt" game my Daddy invented. (you rub a hot dog around to make a trail and then hide the hot dog. Let Calvin in and you have instant fun!!). Even at the end, he sensed that I needed a laugh. I was holding him in lap, crying into his fur like I have done many times before. He leaned his head back and grabbed my kleenex and tore himself off a little piece. I know that he annoyed Josh but he was a my special little guy. I will miss that little stinker!

homemade laundry soap

Here is the recipe that I use. I got it from thefamilyhomestead.com but made a few adjustments

1 bar of ivory soap
1/2 C. washing soda
1/2 c. borax
Water
2 gallon bucket
Essential oil (optional) for fragrance.

Grate the bar of soap into a saucepan. Add 6 cups water and heat mixture until the soap dissolves. Add washing soda and borax. Stir well, until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add about 4 cups of water to your bucket. Add your soap mixture. Stir well. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Add essential oil if you choose. Let soap sit for approximately 24 hours. Use 1/2 cup per load.


This mixture does not become a solid gel. It is sort of snot like. After the soap sets for 24 hours, I pour it into old, clean gallon milk cartons. It take approximately 3.

If you have a stain, just rub some into the stain immediately before you wash.

I have had great luck with this. Except for the stinky gym clothes that Josh left in his gym bag for a week. They still smell so I am going to try soaking for 24 hours.