HomeMy Tiny HouseFarm Charm CottageLe Chicken Chateau

Apr 1, 2019

SHEEP BALLS

I'm SO happy, happy, happy that it it's finally spring time. With a most welcomed change of seasons, I've come out of hibernation to re connect with other living beings at this wonderful time of the year. In shifting into the Spring swing of things, lots of cleaning is going on here at the farm charm cottage. Even the dogs have been enlisted to hunt for stray popcorn kernels  hiding under the sofa which were left overs from those long lasting cold winter days, where we did lots of snuggling under piles of vintage quilts near the blaze of  toasty and welcomed fire here in the little cottage.

You are probably wondering what the heck my title "Sheep balls" means. Not short on words and one that is known to go down a bunny trail or two or three, -  let me tell you a story about them. On a cold winter day, while reading a favorite blog, called Junk Chic Cottage, I ran into these adorable little laundry sheep balls which are named Little beau sheep. You can read that post right here. And while you are on Kris's blog take a look at her beautiful home, and her not to miss - shabby decor on her current Easter post. Any hoo the little sheepies were set to be shipped to a new home once she picked winners of her give away. For me, it was love at first sight, and I knew they would be a perfect addition to my tiny, laundry room that also serves as a pantry and mud room all rolled into one itty bitty space. I feel so blessed to have won them. These Little Beau Peep laundry balls are both adorable and functional and are a perfect addition to compliment my vintage farm charm cottage decor.

 As promised (better late than never)  in the comment section of her giveaway I said if I was fortunate to win the give away that I would do a post about them and tell of an old cowboy story about sheep balls, or as they are properly called - sheep testicles. You will soon see just what I mean, read on.

Mouth method: A shepherd castrates a sheep with his teeth in the TV show Dirty Jobs - these are not the two men who fell ill
Old fashioned cowboy way to castrate sheep

                                                                  
I have a dear friend and true cowboy named Marvin. Nearing his 100th birthday he is never short of amazing stories from his past. I remember him telling me that back in the day on the ranch he would use his teeth to castrate sheep. I listened intently as he described just how it was done. I had never heard anything of the like and figured he was just 'pulling my chain'.  I asked the next old timer cow boys I came across if Marvin's story was true. I was afraid they would laugh and look at me thinking I was the most vulnerable person they had ever met. As it turns out, yep it's da true real deal story  as verified by several old timers and sheep ranchers. This method was also featured on the popular TV show called Dirty Jobs. Should you want to learn more about this method of castration of lambs or see a video that explains how shepherds used their mouth to get a better grip check out YouTube or read more about the 'slippery' testicles here on this link. .

Image result for rocky mountain oysters are they from sheep
Fried rocky mountain oysters












 Rocky Mountain Oysters are enjoyed by people from all over the world? They are actually not oysters at all. They're mammal testicles and most commonly come from bulls,bison, pigs, and sheep. Marvin loves them breaded and fried with a squeeze of fresh lemon and  then topped with Tabasco.  Ah, I will pass on this delicacy
 this time around and stick with fried green tomatoes.  

And now...ta dah... Here is what ya'll  been waiting to see. Meet my flock of sheep that reside in the little farmhouse laundry room.



    Rocky on the left, Mountain in the center, Oyster on the right.






My little flock of laundry room sheep




Resting before my Aussie herds them into the dryer
For those of you who don't yet  use dryer balls, I hope you try them out. They replace dryer sheets and fabric softener. That's right.. they do the job of both while saving you a lot of money. The most important thing is that they don't add those nasty cancer causing chemicals to your home or laundry. While they bounce around your loaded dryer they allow the air to circulate and therefore your clothes dry faster. They don't have to be designer ones like these. You can pick up the plane Jane ones at Walmart or on Amazon. Just pop them into your dryer to experience the difference. Three to four for medium loads and up to six for large loads.



Oh where, Oh where did my little sheep go? 
If you like your laundry scented, just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball and then pop them into an empty dryer and turn it on for a few minutes so that the essential oil soaks in to the ball and does not stain your future loads of laundry.  I like lemon or lavender scented sheets.

Okay... you don't have to go into the dryer just yet.
Hey goof ball, I mean sheep ball - how did you get out of that basket?




I so regret buying a front loading machine. From the beginning it had a tiny drip. It takes forever to wash clothes and it is just way to high tech with a thousand options, even connecting through some sort of app to a smart phone. What is a smart phone anyway? I mean really? Who needs a washing machine that talks to a phone? NOT ME!  I still use only a home phone and most of the time one that still has a cord  into the wall. So the new front loading machine is a BIG regret. I love the simple older ones with hot or cold, heavy or light dirt options. They are simple, easy and do a great job. Sigh. See that glass wash board? I use it on a regular basis, not in the river but in my cast iron farm sink. Works better than my fancy washing machine. Does anyone out there still use a washboard?



My front loading washing machine and dryer are hiding behind the burlap sacks

A vintage wash tub holds soap, clothes pins and other laundry necessities






Small laundry folding area


Looking at this tiny laundry room area you might assume it needs to be updated. This is the updated version of my tiny laundry area. When I purchased new appliances I wanted them hidden behind burlap sacks to keep this room in a vintage farmhouse vibe. I built a counter above the washer and dryer out of old barn wood. I added upper open shelves for easy storage. It felt really closed in so I replaced the glass with a mirror in the center of the window to catch more sunlight and give the appearance that is a bit bigger space.  And of course, everything got a fresh coat of white paint.


 Back in the day many decades ago, this little room was just a covered back porch. The farmhouse had no running water or electricity, therefore no washing machine or dryer. In fact, just under the counter where my washing machine sits, was a water well. The family that lived here at the time used a rope and bucket to draw water from that well for all their daily needs. One of my neighbors remembers that he was the skinniest kid out of his nine siblings and he was chosen by the owners of this house be let down by a rope into the the well to scrape out sediment at the bottom of the well. He got paid a nickle for his work and was thrilled to make that kind of money back in the day. So yeah, this is the updated version of the laundry room. I do have some before pictures but choose not to show them as I was trying to stay on topic here...okay.. I took a bunny trail on the way.




So there you have it, a story about sheep laundry balls that are darling, useful and also remind me of my dear older gentleman cowboy friend as well as a sweet lady who braved the ridiculous icy roads and beyond cold, and definitely freezing record breaking temperatures in Illinois to get these three little sheep in the mail to me. 
Thanks Kris and many thanks Marvin for the great stories you shared with me. I will never forget them or you.

It is a wrap folks...

Reminder - It is never to late to have a happy childhood. Go play. 
XO
Tonita


17 comments:

Junkchiccottage said...

Tonita how sweet the little sheep balls look in your laundry room. They just make you smile with how cute they are. Glad you are giving them a good home. Wow Wow about the sheep!!! Yikes how can that be humane!!! Hope you have a great start to the new week.
Hugs,
Kris

Tonita said...

Hi Kris, Back in the day dogs were castrated as many other animals were without the use of ANY anesthesia and no stitches. Today, it's much more humane for most, yet not all animals to be castrated. If only people took responsibility to prevent unwanted litters then so many animals would not have to be killed on an hourly basis. Thanks for stopping by.

Thelma said...

I never knew that sheep were castrated that way. And I didn't know they were edible. You blog post taught me something today.
I like you laundry room decor.
Thelma.

Tonita said...

Hi Thelma,Thanks for taking time to visit. Yeah, I was in total disbelief the first time Marvin shared that biting/castration technique story with me.

Dan said...

Personally, I am no longer allowed anywhere near the laundry after making one little mistake, with the result being most everything coming out a size, or two, too small. But I will definitely make mention to the wife of your little sheep balls. As for the rocky mountain oyster variety, I have heard of them but have never actually tried them.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, never heard this before.
The castration by teeth that is.
But here in Kentucky their called "Lamb Fries".
I'm an Illinois transplant who shivers at the thought of
chewing one. On the menu here on some restaurants.
Love when you post, just wish it was often.

Linda S. said...

I love your posts, Tonita! :-) Very entertaining and I love your darling home. :-) My best to you! Linda

Tonita said...

Dan,
So glad one of my all time favorite bloggers popped over here to visit and leave a comment. I've just been kinda quiet & laying low over here in the mountains and getting ready to go work on that wall myself if need be. Hope all is well in your corner of the world. Are you sure you didn't shrink those clothes on purpose with the reward being ousted from the laundry room? Hmmmmm.

Cheryl said...

I have been reading about using the dryer balls, but haven't tried them yet. I will have to do that! I love your laundry room, and I would never have thought to put a mirror in the middle of a window to make a room look bigger. That is just genius! I love coming here to your beautiful blog. God bless you, Tonita!

Tonita said...

Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for visiting. There wasn't much of a view outside that one window and the nearby back side of a shed blocked the natural flow of outside light. The other little window has a nice view which now reflects into the mirror on the other 'no view' window. You have to get creative when Living in such a tiny house. Using a mirror there tricks the eye, & makes the room feel bigger and brighter. And may our amazing God bless your socks off.

Dan said...

I'm gonna take the 5th on that.

A Daughter of the King said...

Your delightful and inspirational blog brings a smile to my face, joy to my heart and hope to my soul! I adore your stories and your beautiful tiny cottage life. And, of course, your sheep balls are perfect in your new laundry space.

Tonita said...

Daughter of the King, I love to say that out loud. God is SO good. Thanks for your sweet comment and many blessings to you and yours.

A Joyful Cottage said...

Well, those sheep balls are just perfect for your laundry room, Tonita. Gosh, I'd never heard about the cowboy way of castrating. I don't think I'd want to kiss a guy after that! Hah! Your laundry room is super cute. Everything you do is so "right" (like that mirror in the window). I know what you mean about technology (I think we've had that conversation before). I'd be happy to go back to the days before we had all this complicated, ever-changing technological advancement. I don't see how it gives us more time. It seems it only eats it up. I love Kris and her blog. She's as talented at decorating as you are. Glad to see you thriving in your sweet farm charm cottage. Hugs, Nancy

Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow said...

OMG.

Your laundry room is so sweet, in a way sort of like mine, which is on the porch. Similar style. Though my washer dryer is stacked, and I am still waiting for the cupboard my spouse promised. I have a flat console with a curtain for folding and hiding stuff beneath, beside it. I also hate my washer. HATE IT! It stinks. I am constantly cleaning it, and it saves no water, because things get washed twice so many times. When I have the money, I am getting a stackable apartment unit with the biggest washer on the bottom. I am buying the brand my daughter has in her studio at school. Hers works great.

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

I'm having fun going back to some of your old posts and wondering if you're blogging somewhere else?

Tonita said...

Hi there sweet lady...
No, I am no where else online. I would consider doing IG if I used a cell phone. You can't do IG from a computer. I am 'on purpose' VERY low tech. Not attached to computers and have no cell phone. My blog is not front and center on my mind but when a comment comes in I am reminded that I have sweet visitors who don't give up on me. Thanks. I am not too good at anything digital and even taking and uploading photos is a chore. I have so many other things I would rather do than sit in front of a computer, like sitting on my porch instead. I wrote a post for Spring 2019 and took some pictures of my cottage but never got it posted. Now it is already summer.. I need a blogging secretary..LOL. Thanks for visiting.

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