Oh yes, it is red clay. Rock hard, concrete-like red clay to be exact. When I first started the garden 3 years ago, I tilled down about 12 inches into the clay (took several days)and added some pine bark fines (soil conditioner) and a lot of compost to try and fluff up the soil some. But when you consider in planting deep, there was only a couple of inches of "soft soil" under the plants. Believe me when I way it sounds easier than it was. But it was worth it. Now the worms have taken over and helped to aerate the soil and it is not too bad now. One good thing about clay though is that it holds water and nutrients very well. You have to keep a good layer of mulch to keep the top layer from crusting though. On the reverse, compaction can be a big problem, which is why my planting beds are mounded so that I don't walk in them. Maybe one year I can talk the wife into letting me make some good raised beds. jj

I just love Clarizon Cookies and maybe you would like these, too. The difference is that you toast the oatmeal in the butter before baking. Don't make a whole lot at once because these are one cookie that does not improve with age. I don't use any of the optional stuff, either. They are puffier than Lace Cookies. Prepration: 2 sticks butter 3 c. quick-cooking oats 2 lg. eggs 1 1/2 c. sugar Nuts (optional) Raisins (optional) Chocolate chips (optional) Melt butter in saucepan. Add oatmeal. Let cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats begin to have a toasty-nutty smell. Remove from heat. Beat egg and sugar together until very light and frothy. Fold or stir together egg and oatmeal mixtures. Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until delicately browned. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

My percolator makes great coffee. I enjoy a cup or two each morning. I wished I was borned in the US and would have known about coffee percolator a long ago. What a difference a cup of coffee from a percolator makes. It's smooth and flavourable. Another tip is to add a sprinkle (1 cup) or a dash (5 cups)of salt into the coffee ground. It will take the bitterness away from the coffee and you won't taste the salt. Unless, the coffee is processed for the bitter taste.

I saw soapstone in a showroom, and loved it. I don't like granite, too shiny for me. I was looking for something different, saw the soapstone, and fell in love. The other alternative was a honed granite, but I didn't like the feel of it. We have a lot of soapstone, we have a big island and big perimeter. It was expensive, but when we were doing the house that was my thing that I was not willing to give up. My husband's was his big garage. Neither of us regret standing our ground! I love the look of it and the feel of it. It was worth every penny to me, I would install it again in a heartbeat. My husband laughs at me because I will pat it sometimes because it just feels so good. And it's so easy to take care of, oiling sounds like a big deal, but it's not. Anything wipes right up, nothing stains, you can put pans right out of the oven on it and it's fine. I think you have to love it, as many people have said, if the scratches are going to get to you, it's not the material for you. The first month I freaked out whenever it was scratched, but now.... I don't care. The biggest scratch happened this summer when my son brought his lunch cooler home from work with some grit on the bottom of it, and dragged it across the counter. With a little Clapman's beeswax, it was gone. The stone has darkened enough that even when I haven't oiled in a long time it still looks good. This article describes it perfectly- [https://www.houzz.com/magazine/soapstone-counters-a-love-story-stsetivw-vs~27991463 [(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/soapstone-counters-a-love-story-stsetivw-vs~27991463)