Slow Motion Moments

Amidst busy summer schedules filled with farm chores, day trips, friend meet ups and family gatherings, while managing heatwaves, heavy lifting, and haymaking (most often compounded), I’ve decided to observe daily moments of “Slow Motion”. That’s what I call the 5 purposeful 10 second pauses inserted into experiences that I’d especially like to remember.

*Kalina having a special moment with Mikah last month.*

A long time ago, while preparing for my best friend’s wedding, I read an article that advised brides-to-be to take 10 full seconds to focus on each physical sense while standing at the altar. The author suggested zooming in on each feeling, one at a time, and letting all other senses fade while concentrating. Sounds could be pulled out and stored as memories by listening to them closely; things like the breeze brushing leaves against each other, birds singing in the distance, family members clearing their throats and whispering softly, a heartbeat heard rather than felt.

Even faint sounds that seemed like background noise at first could be recognized and identified with focus. Once all distinguishable sounds had been pulled out of the moment and categorized, then the bride was to let that sense go and move on to focus on yet another sense. They advised the reader to breathe in deeply, to note the various scents that were coming together to mark this unique space in time--the mustiness of the borrowed veil, the soil decomposing beneath antsy feet, sweat and pheromones mixing with deodorant. So many subtle smells wafting through the air. And then, again and again, to repeat this process with all five senses- sound, smell, sight, taste, and touch.

*Me and Harley holding hands at the altar way back in 2006.*

I performed this ritual at my own wedding after sharing this advice with my recently wedded friend and let me tell you- the result was profound. I still have several moments from my wedding day seared into my consciousness so strongly that I can revisit them whenever, and however, I choose.

Sometimes I remember one sense of one moment more strongly than another. It’s not always the one that I would expect (or choose) to remember from a particular moment, like the few seconds I can vividly recall of the slippery grip of my husband’s sweaty hands as we stood together in front of the church pews rather than the sight of our closest family sitting in the front row. Or the way the memory of the bellowing sound of the exhaust from the old Ford pickup truck we rode in when we climbed the winding road to the reception hall overtakes the sweet sight of his new wedding ring glinting in the sun rays between shadows on the steering wheel.

*Harley’s old yellow Ford, our getaway vehicle.*

But those unexpected, non-cliché and non-duplicated memories are the ones that make them mine. Looking back on photos to include in this post was fun, to try to match up my memories with pictures that were captured. None of the images caught in stills are exactly right. I like the ones I can recall better since they are more than just snapshots, they’re 3D sensory moments that I can zoom in on and slow down. They have depth and motion and all 5 senses. They’re almost indescribable. And they’re mine.

The ability to capture a memory so clearly that I can carry it with me always is one of the greatest gifts I have ever given myself. I hope you try it, and make an effort to practice it, as I have. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started wondering why I don’t stop to capture deep memories more often. Like, damn, life is good, and it doesn’t have to be your wedding day to appreciate a moment.

Time seems especially fleeting when raising children. Lately it feels common to look back on a week and not even remember one stand-out moment. Seasons flip just as you’re getting used to them, and years tick by while we look ahead.

I’m trying to be better about remembering to take slow motion moments more often. It comes to me most naturally when I’m in between activities—when walking to the goat pen for milking time with my daughter, while sitting in the truck waiting for my son to come out of a piano lesson, or as I’m cleaning up from dinner while Harley and the kids are talking at the dining room table. No, I can’t choose to block out the smell of spilled milk from beneath the stanchion as I’m in that moment of Zen to make it a more pristine memory, but I also can’t help but ingrain the way my adolescent daughter sways her hips as she walks her goat to the milk stand, or the crooked grin on my son’s face as he plays with the kittens in the grass. It’s a package deal.

*Jake enjoying a summer afternoon with the barn cats.*

This summer has been a long one. I think because I’ve chosen to make it feel that way. My kids are 11 and 13 now, on the cusp of the teen years, and I can feel the closeness of their own lives coming to pull them in new directions.

I’m looking forward to seeing who they become and how they choose to shape their own paths. But I’m also hanging on to some slow motion moments of their time as children growing up on a homestead. I hope they are too.

Summer Soap Releases

Just the one seasonal scent this summer. But it’s a good one. Bay leaf essential oil always reminds me of the classic bay rum blend that folks pine for. This custom scent is similar, but more fresh than spicy, which is how the ocean comes across to me. It’s also great for stripping dirt and sweat from hot summer skin.

Ocean Mist

Soleseife soap, made with sea salt, water and goat milk that mimics the salinity of the sea itself. This summer seasonal variety puts a moisturizing twist on a traditional toning bar. Swirls of sea clay and dead sea mud add slip, draw out toxins and share precious minerals with our skin. Scented with a crisp, outdoorsy essential oil blend of peppermint, palmarosa, bay and fir needle.

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Behind the Scenes

A sneak peek at some other things we’ve been up to lately. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more!

Barn cats

We added Pickles (left) and Mustachio (right) to the homestead this summer to help us control the rodent population. They are both extremely friendly cats, and extremely good hunters. They’re great company while doing chores and we already can’t imagine not having them around.

Maple is a sweetie

Since Shine was bottle raised as a calf and loves people, I had wondered if allowing her daughter, Maple, to nurse instead of bond with a bottle would make her less friendly. That doesn’t appear to be true, at least towards me. She’s a love.

Pigs are getting big

Charlie and Lucy have an expanded pasture now that they’re getting big, and are doing a great job plowing up all the brush in this area of the property where we hope to plant a garden next year.

Ducklings

We tried to hatch some ducklings earlier this summer, but only a couple made it to the other side of the shell. So we purchased a handful more from a local breeder. Kalina calls them her “children” and makes sure they have a clean pool and plenty of treats at all times.

Welsh Harlequin ducks

This breed of duck is a variation of the Khaki Campbell duck, which is an excellent egg layer. They have gorgeous metallic green/purple feathers below their wings. I’m looking forward to incorporating some duck eggs into my soap recipes and possibly making some earrings with those stunning feathers.

Start ‘em young

Jacob and Kalina have been helping out on the field crew at a local organic farm. Since I’m not a gardener, it has been a valuable lesson in growing food and developing a strong work ethic for them. If only every adolescent had the opportunity to be fully immersed in soil for the summer.

More soap news

Custom soap video

Another custom soap order from a lovely, dedicated customer. This time she wanted something that reminded her of the creamsicles she had growing up. Here is the description of the memory she was trying to recreate, in her own words. I wonder if she captured that scent using the “slow motion moment” technique too.

“I'm trying to replicate a creamsicle/dreamsicle and vanilla is the "dream" portion of this. When I was little and the ice cream truck came sometimes Mommy would give us some change. We didn't eat sweets growing up. Only homemade desserts and those not often. No soda or juices. So when I got to patronize the ice cream truck, it was some serious business. While all the kids got Nutty Buddies or those red white and blue rocket looking things, I was doing the Push-up or the Creamsicle or the Dreamsicle.”

Check out the video of it coming together on our YouTube channel.

No shipping August 16-August 24, 2022

We’re taking a little break from the business for a week or so. Feel free to place your orders anytime, but any orders that come in after noon on Monday 8/15 will be shipped on Thursday 8/25. I hope you take some time to slow down and sear this summer into your memory bank too.

Love, Christy