And, like the rest of our products, we test this ourselves (more about R&D here). This particular product was put through it's paces quite a bit this fall. Most people don't think about cardboard being a drying agent to skin. But it is. Anyone who handles boxes all day will testify to that. It strips the oils right out of your hands, scuffs them, scratches them... ever get a paper cut from cardboard? It hurts badly - and is a nightmare to get healed.

So, as I entered January my hands were really feeling challenged after handling so many boxes. Then, the side of beef that we'd spoken for from a local farmer was ready to be picked up at the processing house. We always can a portion of our meat (in quart glass Ball jars) so there's a ready supply of pre-cooked meat on hand for fast meals. It's great for vegetable soup, barbecue, beef manhattan, beef & noodles, etc. Just open the jar and heat. But getting it to that point requires a bit of work. The meat comes in chunks from the butcher unfrozen in big plastic bags. The procedure after that is to stuff the raw meat into clean jars, put on the lids, and pressure cook each batch for the required time. Do you have any idea how many times a person washes their hands in hot, soapy water while processing 80 pounds of meat? Me neither, but it's a LOT. Between the physical effort required to pack the cold meat tightly into the jars, along with being wet/washed/dried over and over - my hands were a mess at the end of the day. All I had to do was slather on some Horse Woman's Balm at bedtime and they were like new in the morning. Whatever is in this stuff is what hands need - that's for sure. The great thing is, too, you can use a little - or a lot. For minor dryness, a little dab makes a thin film that absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy. For major dryness like I was having - you can use quite a bit so it continues to "feed" your skin as it soaks in overnight.
This stuff is handmade in small batches, so i don't keep a lot on hand, however this year I've stocked up so have plenty to fill holiday orders. To order, click here 

For years, the HoofPrints order form included three tiny photos of our old farmhouse in various stages of remodel. I have had so many folks mention that they enjoyed reading about the transformation, that I decided to blog about it. The first entry; Fun on the Farm Part 1 is here. At the end of that story, I allude to the fact that there's more in the works.

I am still trying to sort out the best way to make that into a cohesive story - as with all things in life, it's got lots of complicated and interesting twists and turns to the "plot". If I were a fiction writer I doubt I could make up stuff that's any better.

At any rate, above is the main image from the second installment. A short portion of this verse by Lauren Davis Baker takes center stage, powerfully conveying the feeling most of us experience when we're in one of these magnificent structures. The barn in this picture was in my family for generations, sheltering horses, cattle and farm implements of all sorts. Sadly, this old barn is gone now. BUT - parts of it are about to embark on a new life, adorning the inside of our current home, an 1880's farmhouse located some 50 miles west.

Stay tuned as I use my blog to share stories and pictures from the past here on the farm, as well as current events as we integrate these old timbers into our latest project. You can even subscribe to get email updates as I publish new entries. Details here