A Good Day

Multiplying Green Onions Gone to Seed-Dry the Bulbs Again

 

Starting at 7:15 A.M.after a few cups of coffee made from Open Road Coffee beans.  Need to check on the lower garden. Got to pull some weeds.

Raspberry plants growing.  BTW, get out to PCHS and check out what the Agriculture Science Dept. and students have got in the plant sale.  I just picked up 50 tomato plants, jalapeno pepper plants, and thyme, dill, and parsley as well.  Plants are healthy and VERY REASONABLY PRICED.

Potatoes--Yukon Gold and Irish Red. Wire fences to keep deer out of RattleSnake Greenbeans

Crop Circles or Pickling Cucumber Hills?

Coyote tracks or Eddie the Lab?

Eddie's waits for a ride to Grandma's house for lunch..Takes a cookie to bribe him back into the house.

Grandma's barn with barn art by PCHS student for senior project.

1:00 PM. BarnYard Basketball. Nice goal and net. Better barn art.

Water Buffalo at my father's farm.  Turned out to be pets instead of lean table fare.

This was when the they were younger and kinder...

Water Buffalo staring us down.  An interested visitor and several dogs have learned the hard way that these guys aren't always so friendly.  We don't get too close anymore, unless we're on the John Deere.

This young bull prefers his muzzle scratched by my father.

Another old barn...I worked in this barn 30 years ago when this farm was Cotswold's: Saddlebreds and Arabs. It was old then.

9 day old water buffalo

Looks serious...

2:00 P.M.  More basketball.  Swooshing the net.

The Big Dawg of the Barn Yard, like the WARHORSE, naturally aggressive.

Hiding out under a barn and dusting off...

6:30 PM. Berry Picking at the Russells Berry Patch. Getting the first berries off the vines.  Fertilizer used is "Fish Juice" from Bob's 50 gallon barrel.  Cole supplied the fish carcasses for homemade fertilizer. No pesticides.  They ordered some kind of bug to kill spider mites.  Going to freeze them for smoothies and pies after an ice cream sundae. 2 gallons to my mom for strawberry preserves.

 It's 9:30 P.M. and this post of pics is going up.  

Yes, I'm materialistic!

It’s going to sound trite or materialistic to admit that I have a few “things” or material possessions that I really love because someone special made it, or a unique material or process was used, or because the craftsmanship and material are special.

For example, Garland Rice, retired Polk County High School construction teacher, made me several oak tables from a piece of red oak that came from Deep Gap, a secluded range of small mountains that sleeps between Cooper’s Gap, World’s Edge, and Edneyville, NC. I used to live there in an 1864 farmhouse—middle of nowhere and lovely, dark, and deep. Every time I prop my feet on the big table, I think about this place.

Also, I love the simple design of the sturdy tables,

and appreciate their primitive elegance.

Bartering is common with us, so Garland traded wood for wild game. Garland never does anything halfhearted. I know this because I listened to his students who so admired him and his passion for teaching them the value of using their hands and their brains.

I love his tables (can’t call them “coffee tables” because it sounds too trite, cliche, mundane.

It gets pretty intense around the table. Tonight we're playing a

word game Apples to Apples,

and Lyndsey is losing because Cole is getting outside the box.

I love my candleholder handcrafted by a local forest ranger and wood craftsman. It is a work of art.

He also makes the most beautiful wooden bowls, using local materials from my neck of the woods. The candle holder looks great beside Cole’s hand-gathered and handcrafted antler lamp.I know Dan, his wife, and his daughters. In fact, I taught his girls in high school. I love the passion he has for his craft. I hate to love “things,” but I do. If you want to appreciate his talent, visit his website Dan Loudermelt’s Tree Treasures.

I love Jody Durham’s soy candles. Jody searched for the highest quality soy, and tested and poured before he settled on his recipe and ingredients. I know Jody, Deanna, and their 2 daughters. In fact, I taught both of them in high school.

When I light one, the wonderful scent is enhanced by the craftsmanship that goes into each of them. Check out his new company Small Time Candles. Tonight, the Clean Cotton scent is working nicely, as Cole made us dinner by tenderly sautéing some fresh fish (ok, he rolled it in cornmeal and fried it to a crisp with a side of Heinz ketchup, filling the kitchen and living room with a “cooked,” heavy smell). Jody is a creative photographer as well. One of his photographs is particularly unforgettable. I’m not sentimental about weddings, but this photo from his gallery is unforgettable—the bride almost disappears into the clouds. Symbolism and metaphor abound. I love this photograph.

When I visit Julia and Stan Yoder’s Open Road Coffee in Tryon, I feel good somehow, because the owners are genuine—they love their shop.

You can just tell—the handcrafted chocolate sauce that goes on my mocha latte, the homemade pastries…the coffee is awesome, and even better because the Yoders smile a lot, because their children are often nearby, because the greet their customers with genuine interest. Once I get my smooth coffee, I can sit on the outside patio, inside, or step on over the New to You Re-Use It Shop. I’ve got several handmade scarves I love. Yes, they’re flattering, but better yet I can imagine the crafter mulling over colored streams of soft cotton. There’s lots of brand name clothing that is mildly worn, and I often get some great finds. My sister and I fought over this gladiator outfit just last Saturday.

It might be great to wear on family night while we watch Troy, Gladiator, 300, or Titus Andronicus.

My student Hope’s apple pie creation is almost too good to eat, but after some pics and accolades, I sent it on up to M & M in Hendersonville (one slice missing), as I knew this would add some discussion to the regular lunch break.

Supposedly, someone said, “This %@$# pie looks too good to eat…this %@$# pie is the best I’ve ever eaten.” Hope’s pie is both—tart, tasty, tantalizing. I say sell them on her college campus and pay for tuition.

Whether or not you appreciate traditional Moonshine, you might appreciate the craftsmanship the artisan used when he hammered out the Dark Corner Distillery copper still. It is something to see. Joe and Roxanne have taken care with the design of their store--copper patina walls and all. By the way, Joe is a former student of mine. The ambiance suits the product and the tradition. Beautiful place.

When I buy local, sometimes I know the person and about his or her life. I buy from people I like and admire. I buy for their commitment to their craft, their creativity, their work ethic. Sorry, but mass-produced feels sort of like the emptiness of a gift card—that generic, androgynous, safe choice—nothing personal. Most people who handcraft their wares usually enjoy the process. Everything can’t be handcrafted by an artisan, I know. But, that is the reason I have an attachment for some things—because someone “studied” it, or worked, then stepped back, evaluated, and took up the “tool” again—someone contemplated…

PS. Sorry about the font; it is defying my commands.

Warhorse Increases Manufacturing With Recycling, Re-Purposing, and Kind Friends

THE WARHORSE gets a new soap pot!

Warhorse Solutions' glycerin, natural soaps are dark--Appalachian Amber we call it. Since we use the refined glycerin byproduct from our biofuel process, the oils are dark as the temperatures are hot, hot. We do not dilute our soaps with water and then thicken them. We don't dye it with Titanium Dioxide, and we don't use sulfate detergents for artificial suds. We use A LOT of glycerin and soap. Sulfates can dry and irritate the skin. The high glycerin content keeps the skin moist AND effectively cleans. It appears that many people embrace our dark amber soaps, so we are increasing our production capacity--in other words, I need a bigger soap tank.

Since our little company is growing, it was time to get off the Red Oak firewood and onto biodiesel and a bigger soap cooker. I'm a bit tired of dodging smoke from the fire, shifting my stirring position depending on the wind, and my boat paddle is tired. So, after badgering Carl that I needed a more efficient process, he started "studying," reading about biodiesel burners. Expensive to buy a manufactured one. So, as Carl usually does, he talks to Bob Russell, to Steve, Larry, and Tony Hyder, and to Casey Thompson, a Hyder son-in-law. After a few trips down to the Dark Corner, Carl had a plan. What's great about having friends who can make anything, who have a wealth of knowledge, and who embrace hard work, they can help you get things done--they're all blue collar engineers, got the knowledge and the hands to make it happen, much like my husband Carl.






Be Kind Solutions' new soap burner is made from a recycled oil furnace burner. Carl got a used one from John Foy at All Seasons Heating and Air. BINGO! John put a new burner nozzle on it and a few other parts. John was kind enough to just charge us for the parts--$25.00. Thanks John.


Carl built a firebox using firebricks and fire clay and bolted on the recycled furnace. BINGO! I owe him $187.00 for the bricks--got to sell some soap. With some copper tubing and wiring, I've got a more efficient method of refining my glycerin and making WARHORSE Cleaning Soap, Paws to Palms Pet & People Soap, WARHORSE Leather Gel, and be kind's body washes. Now, I can use our biodiesel in the furnace burner--a sustainable and "green" biodiesel burner. The firebricks contain the heat, and the thermostat keeps my temps where I need them. It burns about 3 quarts of biofuel an hour and puts out lots of BTUs. Very efficient. Thank you, Carl.

Next step is getting a bigger soap tank. Shopped for used ones on Craig's List, Ebay, and equipment manufacturers. Family friend Rick Pate of Green Creek and Chemway let the dogs out to sniff one up for me. Found one with 4,000 gallon capacity--not there yet. Whew! Pretty expensive, even the small ones. We knew there had to be a steel tank somewhere that we could recycle and re-purpose.

Bob Russell--my biodiesel mentor, our diesel mechanic mentor, our organic blueberry and raspberry supplier--suggested we check out the Russel Diesel Shop collection of "dead" tractor trailers long since put to rest. We drove our '81 Chevy Luv Diesel on over and found several steel tanks that might work. BINGO!

We loaded up our recycled and re-purposed steel 160 gallon diesel fuel gas tank, which came off a diesel dump truck. Our good friends The Dark Corner Hyder brothers gave us their suggestions on the best way to make my new soap cooker. Carl "studied" on it for a while, and today he took it over into the Dark Corners for some welding and remodeling. Casey, Dink Hyder's son-in-law, who's getting pretty close to living off the grid, is handier than Carl is with a welder.


Casey and Mindy are very industrious. They installed and use a wood burner that heats their house and water. Pipes are buried and carry temperature controlled heat into their house. It doesn't burn much wood, as it is choked way down.










Mindy and Casey don't sit down much, as their two daughters keep them busy. Plus, they are on the lookout for sustainable ways to live. They have just started a new batch of dibs so they can continue getting their fresh eggs.






And, Carl and I passed along the biodiesel lifestyle
to Casey. He has just built his own processor
and made several "perfect" batches. Just like us
he and Mindy realize making biofuel is a lifestyle--getting dirty, being outside in cold weather, and ALWAYS
tweaking the system. Like the rest of the Hyders, these two industrious people built their own home. Add the chickens, cutting firewood, making biofuel, bear hunting--plus Mindy is a RN at Spartanburg Regional and Casey works with Hyder Farms--no body is just chillin' in this household.








Casey gets to work on the WARHORSE soap cooker.

























As you can see, once Casey got finished with the basics, he got a little creative and put the WARHORSE on my soap cooker--permanently. Mindy drew him on with chalk and BINGO! I owe Casey and his wife Mindy A LOT of my WARHORSE and glycerin body soaps. I'll be making a Dark Corner delivery soon! Thanks to both of you. Sit down and rest a spell. You deserve it. Casey really likes WARHORSE's Blue Musk Glycerin Body Wash

Once Carl brought the WARHORSE soap cooker home, he still had to weld a motor on top with an agitator to keep the glycerin and soaps moving during the refining and cooking stages.



As soon as Carl got the WARHORSE out of the back of the truck, I checked it out and decided to remove the last bit of gum from the inside.









I really like the new tank--my labor should go down, and my capacity increase. The ball lever valve on the bottom will be soooo much easier than hand bailing out the soap. Whew, one thing down and another to tackle. "Hey Carl, I think I need a bigger distiller." I better give it a rest.

Sustainability and Self-Reliance: Get Those Youngsters Cleaning

During the flu season, my students often get a little worried about all the empty seats in our classroom--who's got the "flu," a stomach bug, or the sniffles. Worse yet, did they miss the mass text that it is "Senior Skip Day"?

When the sniffles get to going or the artistic desk doodles get too irritating, I just go get my WARHORSE Multipurpose Cleaner (I like the mint scent), a bucket of water, some rags, and start cleaning the desks, computer keyboards, and tables. I always have a few students to jump in and get going. No fumes, no bleach residue, no chemicals on their hands--just a nice soft feeling from my glycerin-rich soap.

Just before Christmas break, Coach Claussen sent a student down to my room for some WARHORSE. The plans were to clean the girl's weight room. Apparently, the mats on the floor were filthy and underneath covered in mold and mildew. This little cleaning job turned into a big one once several of her students got to pulling up the mats and moving the equipment. They came back later that day and asked for more glycerin cleaning soap. I just sent the rest of my container when one student said, "Oh my gosh, it's so disgusting...." I applaud these young ladies for helping clean the weight room



Chores are important for teaching young children and teenagers responsibility and independence. Working along side "experienced clean freaks" is better than having youngsters do chores independently. Kids need to know how things are done correctly from start to finish.

Get your kids to cleaning: Our WARHORSE can eat the grease off your stove, the soap scum from shower doors, wash dirty hand prints from the walls, AND soften your skin in the process. It's LOADED with a natural degreaser and softener. Get little Nate to clean his own bathtub because our cleaning soap has no fumes or harsh chemicals. Yes, your three-year old can start learning responsibility with our WARHORSE. Safe for all ages and most washable surfaces.

• Our soaps foam and clean without sulfates or phosphates.
  

• Our soaps are concentrated with soap and glycerin--not diluted and thickened.
  

• Our soaps have an amber or dark color because the oils have undergone high temperatures. However, we don't use artificial dyes or whiteners to change their color, similar to brown rice, raw sugar, honey, nuts, and whole wheat flour. Most often, beauty and body products are artificially colored with synthetics.
  

• Our soaps are made from a sustainable and innovative process that produces glycerin-rich products
  

• We're proud that every batch is handcrafted from scratch.
  

Be Kind Soaps are kind to you, your family, your pet, and your planet.

WARHORSE Cleaning Soap Logo Born 10 Months Ago....WARHORSE T-Shirts Have Arrived!

Visit our website warhorsesolutions.com

Warhorse Solutions' backyard handcrafted WARHORSE Cleaning Soap was conceived a while back... Yes, my WARHORSE was born before the movie was announced.

In fact, WARHORSE was conceptualized on paper over 9 months ago by Polk Co. High School art teacher Jeff Thomas. Jeff's art room is directly across from my classroom, and he's been cleaning art department and home with my soaps for several years. Jeff drew several logo options for my aggressive, sustainable, glycerin-rich cleaning soap.

Since it's birth, the WARHORSE has gotten so much attention I needed to share his story. BTW, if you haven't looked closely, WARHORSE has 3 birds hidden in it, and some declare he was born in Troy; some say he's Native American. I just know I love him! Yes, he is stoic, tough, and beautiful. And Jeff is someone I admire and respect. Just ask his plethora of past and present students--his art of teaching is part of his art. For many reasons, this WARHORSE is truly spectacular, just like his designer and the products he represents.

Now that my WARHORSE has been analyzed, criticized, labelized, and idolized, I have some WARHORSE t-shirts for sale. They are awesome because they stand on their own--they're just a DANG COOL SHIRT--Guildan's ultra heavy weight cotton--a quality shirt. American Designs in Landrum did the distressed print--thanks Tim and Molly. Tim does the WARHORSE bottle labels for me as well. Just telling you all, there's lots of local expertise around. So far, be kind has been able to hire all ex PCHS students for research, graphics, web and blog design, marketing, and distribution. And if I can spend my little company's money close to home, then I will.

If you are interested in seeing the full line of be kind solutions soaps and cleaner, visit Mountain View Barbeque and Cafe in Columbus (just head toward Tryon on Hwy 108, through the roundabout, past Bi-Lo and KFC, then look on the left).

Owners Shane and Holly have kindly allowed us to put our products in their restaurant (BTW, there's lots more than barbeque--blackened tuna and salmon salads and wraps for example. And the smoked burger special is a family favorite with us). Shane uses WARHORSE to clean his entire restaurant, home, and his vehicles. So, we barter--I make cleaner and soaps for Mountain View and Mountain View hosts my products.

Since the WARHORSE is so good-looking and inspirational,

why not put him on a shirt?

Short sleeve is $15.00 and long sleeve is $20.00.
We have ice grey, charcoal grey, black,
white, camel, prairie dust, and sand.
Shirts are preshrunk and can be ironed.

Give us a call or email if you're interested in our products or WARHORSE shirts. 828-817-0350 or tweicker@bekindsolutions.com

Also, stop by Mountain View for products and t-shirts too, and try a grilled tuna salad, wraps, or some barbeque and chips with local Old Mule sauces.

Got some shirts in stock.


Many of my students think I'm a bit "humbug" when it comes to Christmas and "shopping." When possible, I like to make my special salads and jerky for presents. Last time I Christmas shopped in a mall was about 15 years ago. At our house, it's Christmas year round--the boys drive our homemade biodiesel and clean with be kind soaps. They now make the jerky and I make the soap.

I'm grateful for the creativity of PCHS talent and the help of my husband, sister, and friends. Thanks Carl, Amanda, Lizzy, Lyndsey, Anna, Cindi, Jody, Deanna, and everyone who has given my products a go.

Happy Holidays,

Tawana

WARHORSE News From the B. Matthews Eatery in Savannah, GA

Whenever I make a trip back home to Columbus, NC, I always like to stop by Mountain View BBQ and Deli to see how things are going there. As a past employee and chef, I occasionally sneak in the back door during slow restaurant hours to catch up with the owner Shane Blackwell and Jon Hampton. Recently, I was shooting the breeze in the kitchen with the guys when a couple bottles of this brown molasses-like liquid caught my eye. I asked Shane if it was a new BBQ Sauce or some kind of spice injection, and instantly his eyes lit up. "Man you've gotta try this stuff...it’s soap and Tawana Weicker makes it." I had to pause for a minute to let this marinate in my head. The jug of brown soap is made by my high school English teacher. Naturally, I laugh and ask him to enlighten me. So we spend the next 30 minutes to an hour discussing the cleaner’s uses, how it comes from "spent" fryer oil, and something to do with biodiesel. At this point I'm very curious.

The next step was to see if this stuff actually works. Presently, I work in historic downtown Savannah, Georgia at the B. Matthews Eatery, in a building and kitchen that dates back to the late 1700's. After I got home from my NC visit, I call Mrs. Weicker, and she ends up shipping me a gallon of WARHORSE. It arrives. So, I talk up this all natural soap with the guys, who could care less where the soap is from and about the process but just want to know if it works. With great expectations-- and even greater anxiety-- I bring the sample to the kitchen for a “deep cleaning” day, so this was a true test of what WARHORSE could actually do. With maybe 4 oz. of this green cleaner, the crew and I cleaned our entire line (steam tables, coolers, flat top, fryers, oven, etc.) I was shocked at how effortlessly the grease came off of everything! The crew was even more shocked that I found a soap made in the woods of western NC by an English teacher that worked better than any product we have ever used, and it works on every surface in our restaurant!

After a month or so of using WARHORSE, our entire restaurant has switched to this amazing product. From scrubbing floors and cleaning fryers, in one of the oldest kitchens in Savannah, to polishing the antique wood of Georgia's oldest bar, WARHORSE is the most versatile product in our family of restaurants and bars now. Weekly, it seems we find a new use for it, and the most amazing part is how gentle and green the product is. No harmful chemicals and the list of what’s in the soap reads like a recipe. With a much-needed movement towards a more sustainable and planet friendly products, not only in the food service industry but also everyday practices, WARHORSE is a frontrunner in this new market.

I have since visited the WARHORSE "factory" and have a better understanding of the process and people behind the product. Not only does this soap speak for itself, it also is a homegrown, grass roots kind of story with a person in charge that has passion for the product. I am hooked at first because the stuff is the best cleaner I have ever used in a restaurant and second for the person and vision behind it. WARHORSE is an affordable green cleaner that needs to be in every restaurant and home.

-Wes Sessoms

B. Matthews Eatery

Savannah, GA