Cajun Corner Vol 2 No 12

Cajun Corner – Vol. 2, No. 12 – March 26, 2010


Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

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Don’t forget to visit http://www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com/ often.

Cajun Stitchery’s first anniversary has been wonderful and still ongoing. We still are not getting much participation in the contests. No one submitted a response to the contest this week. Come on friends, it’s free stuff. And I love doing this. Only one more week in March and then the contests are over.

This week’s contest: Again, this week Cajun Stitchery would like to know some home remedy ideas. This can be health, cleaning, or household remedies. Doesn’t have to be an essay but you are welcome to do so. Email your response to peggyhenshall@yahoo.com. The winner will be announced next week in Cajun Corner. Prize: 4 embroidered napkins.

Right now I’m anxiously awaiting a response to an email that I sent to a rather exclusive linen company, Ulster Linen Company. They sell wholesale, high quality Irish linen by the yard or item. Their minimum order is rather pricey for me but if I start getting a demand for heirloom type items, I am thinking about biting the bullet and getting something really high quality that you can hand down to your daughters and granddaughters with pride.

Did you know…linen is made from flax. Initially, man wore animal skins as garments. As man created more nomadic type communities driving herds, they began wearing clothing made of wool from their sheep. When man started settling down into communities and cultivating the land, they planted flax and their clothing from the flax plant was linen. Linen was the earliest vegetable matter to be woven. Linen is also mentioned in the Bible many times and represents purity. Linen is such a durable fabric that Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen strips. As the tombs have been discovered, other fabrics disintegrated and turned to dust while the linen fabric remained mostly intact. The British Museum in London has mummy linen 6,000 years old. Linen not only is long lasting but harmful germs leave linen alone, making linen extremely sanitary. Otherwise, the linen in the Egyptian tombs would have turned to dust with the other fabrics. The ancient Phoenicians actually introduced flax cultivation to Ireland. The Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers controlled the Irish linen industry for over 100 years (1711-1823). It is due to its success in control of the industry that Irish linen today is looked upon as the high mark in quality among linen manufacturers in the world.

Last Saturday I created a Facebook page for Cajun Stitchery. Many of our Facebook friends commented on the photographs that we’ve posted. I’m trying to post as many of the photographs as I can. We were surprised that we have 178 fans for the Cajun Stitchery Page and we haven’t even been running a week yet. I’m shooting for name recognition as well as sales for Cajun Stitchery. As always, there is an element of fun, too. If you are on Facebook and have not yet become a fan of Cajun Stitchery, please do so.

This week I tried to update the slideshow on the blog. At first I thought I lost all of the old slideshow. Now I have about half of the photos on there that I wanted but at least there are new photos on the slideshow. Cajun Stitchery Facebook page is now connected to the blog.

The exercise of uploading the photos to the Facebook page and working with the slideshow demonstrated to me how many pictures we’ve taken of projects over the last year. I do not have an exact count, and the count changes all of the time, but it is over 300 pictures. Those photographs have become a portfolio as well as a diary.

The other big accomplishment this week was on bookkeeping day, Tuesday. We had a long list of things to do for taxes and bookkeeping and finished. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when all of those things were finally done. Don’t you just hate it when you dread doing something and keep putting it off? It is such a feeling of exhilaration when you finally get through it and to the other side.

George is in the garden as I type this. He’s planting onions and carrots today. It really has been a pretty week and wonderful to be in the garden. The whole yard is looking like Spring has sprung.

Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.

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One day Thibodeaux went up to Boudreaux. "You know Boudreaux, I think somethin' wrong wit me."

Boudreaux said, "Mais, Thibodeaux, tell me what's your problem.?"

"Well, Boudreaux," Thibodeaux said. "My whole body is in pain. Everywhere I press on my body it hurts."

"Thibodeaux, I think I know what's wrong with you." Boudreaux replied.

"Tell me Boudreaux, what could it be?"

"Thibodeaux, you need to see the doctor because your finger's broken."

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French phrase of the week: Tu veux aller au bal avec moi à soir? (Do you want to go to the dance with me tonight?)

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Awhile back we met with our local commissioner. During our meeting the conversation went to the environment. He said that the chemicals that we use on our lawn and the chemicals used by professional exterminators are leaching into our ground water and creating a significant problem.

Why do we use chemicals and especially expensive chemicals to do a job that normal, everyday, environmentally friendly products will achieve for a low cost? Here are some tips:

1. Remove bacteria and pesticide residue from produce - Use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, wash produce thoroughly.

2. Clean windows and countertops - Use a 50% water and vinegar mixture to clean windows and countertops.

3. Remove shower and bathtub film - Use vinegar full strength on an old wash rag.

4. Toilet bowl stains - Use white distilled vinegar full strength with a scrubber.

5. Furniture polish - Use a 50% olive oil and vinegar mixture and polish furniture with a soft cloth. Be sure to test furniture in an inconspicuous spot first because vinegar is acidic.

6. Clean microwave - Utilize 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Place in the microwave and cook until boiling. Immediately wipe interior of microwave.

7. Wash no-wax floors - Add 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water. Mop or scrub floor.

8. Clean kitchen cutting boards - Use vinegar full strength on cutting boards.

9. Wash grass stains out of fabric - Use a 1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water mixture. Apply to stain and blot.

10. Remove molds and mildew - Use a 50% water and white vinegar mixture for light mildew stains, and full strength white vinegar to kill heavier mildew and mold growth.

Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.

If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.

C’est tout, mes amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the new catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.