Hi Laura, yes we got the instructions online from one of those excellent U.S.butchery sites. Lizzie's laptop on the side covered in clingfilm, easy. We did it over two days this time, (as there where two pigs) making the sausage meat the second day; flavoured it with packets of mixed up herb/spice from Scoop, utterly delish.

Well, the soap was a real success; traced in two hours and solid by this morning. the brown one is ground coffee, good for really dirty/oniony hands and the other is oatmeal and honey, soothing for sensitive little flowers like me. Will cut it into bars tonight and then it'll have to cure for a month or two.

Isn't it great when things work!

Just started reading the book that Laura sent me, loving it. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. Reminds me of Willa Catha and also E. Annie Proux.

Right, off to collect some cow poo for to send off to the vet, part of this new Government animal health initiative, what fun.