Meeting Mrs. Violet Stone: Life Changer I had the most exhausting and amazing day. An amazing 90 years young lady that is famous for her soap, in Oregon, invited me into her home today to teach me how to make it. Joshua Eldridge mom has been going to learn but said the lady wouldnt show her for months, she begged and begged but she felt nobody respected the old ways and if it wasnt going to be done just as she was taught by her grandmother then it wasnt to be done. His mom called the lady and set it up ahead of time for me to be blessed and privileged to be invited. It took some convincing. The home was immaculate and the appliances and the furniture was the exact same as the day her and her late husband built the house many many years ago. She had never taught her daughter-in-laws, or granddaughters, they just dont respect the old way of things, and women make soap. So to say I honored was an understatement. This is old fashioned Lye soap where you start by rendering fat. I had heard horror stories of this stuff from Aunt Thelma but this is most, mild amazing feeling soap I ever used. My hands are still soft and feel amazing. I over heard Joshs mom saying, see I told you, you would love her she respects the old ways and will pass it on and down. I got the grand tour of this ladys home and seen here knitting which she is also famous around these parts for it was gorgeous. She said I hear you like ferns. I said yes maam, on the way in you where greeted by entire wall of violets each in there own container and no two alike hand tended for years by an award winning gardener. A green thumb to say the least, but there in kitchen window was a started small fern. Now she said this a one of kind. My grandmother was the gardener and I learned from her; but this is an original start from her fern, theres not another like it in the world. I have kept her plant alive for over 50 years and it was at least that old when she gave it to me. I dont share her fern with just anybody but I see your an old soul and appreciate the lineage. You come from good stock. Let me get it growing a little better and you come back ill have you a fern from my grandmothers most prize possession. Only me and my sister got starts from it and I still have mine as you can see. I broke into tears, she said you know I havent been able to cry in 33 years I want to so bad I would feel better; but I fought in back in a time of grief years ago and ever since I cant cry and at my age I would love to just get some things out. I told her tears where Gods way of washing the soul like your soap they can clean anything. She said yes your right I really need to but just cant. So please everyone who see this help me with a strange request, pray tonight for Violet and that she again gets to feel tears and cleans her soul. The way she talked about not being able to cry and longing to, to put behind her some of the tragedies and losses, truly broke my heart. I went to leave, I am hugger, and I reached to give her a hug. She held on so tight for so long I dont think she had one in awhile. Joshs mom said wow when we got in the truck, she hugged you. She is set in ways and honoree as all get out and she liked you. I also took home a hand made dish towel she said was the first of many I get to one a visit, guess Ill be going back often as shell have me. She has made plans to teach me canning of the wild mushrooms that grow here in the Forrest, which Im sure Ill be send to pick, after a good long talk on where and what to look for them, and next year all sorts of wild berry jams. Cant wait. Thank you lord for allowing me to meet and have in my life such an amazing women. I am honored to have a tradition passed to me from such a high standing and old bloodline of an Oregonian. The stories that went with soap making where the best part. I am going to posting some pics but the soap was top secret so there is only one of kettle and one of her fridge. The place she lives is Falls City and those pics of just the city park and dirt road trip up there was aweing. God again thank you for your blessing and your amazing way of bringing people into our lives that will leave there mark and mold us, Violet is one of those and leave you better than when she found you. I pray for that to be my legacy. In return I am to teach how to make tortillas to Joshs mom and take her some. Deal. I was taught that years ago by Willies Balderas, my first employee, and still dear friend by his mother who came to visit from Mexico years ago. I will pass it on. That is her Ice Box at the top of the screen...
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:30:36 +0000
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