ABSTRACT THURSDAY - MYSTERIOUS

If you just looked at this shot, without reading my journal, you might wonder whether it is something mysterious.  I have purposely turned it upside down, otherwise you would probably have known immediately what it was - at least those of a certain age might!

I wonder how many of us have, in the past, collected old pieces of soap and then boiled them up to make new soap bars?  I remember doing it when I was a little girl because my Grandma said we shouldn’t waste anything.

Since I “found” Pears soap again about a year ago, I have enjoyed using it instead of liquid soap, particularly in the bathroom and it really is gentle on my skin, as advertised.  There is something almost sensual about unwrapping a new oval bar of blue translucent Pears soap,  then rolling it round in your palms so that it exudes its “pure and gentle” perfume - in this case - “with mint extracts”.  There is also a green one which is also “pure and gentle” with “lemon flower extracts” but it is more difficult to find, except online.

Pears soap, according to the blurb, “has 200 years of heritage and is prepared with a unique process of moulding then matured till it reaches pure transparency. Each bar of Pears is still finished by hand and checked by eye.”  It was originally made in London by Andrew Pears, as Pears Transparent Soap, but is now made in different fragrances in India by Hindustan Unilever.

The good thing about using Pears soap is that even when it gets smaller with use, it still stays in its oval shape, so the tiny piece can be set on top of the new bar and it quickly bonds together so nothing is wasted.  

I did think it was rather funny that today, for the first time since I have been using it, although the bar has been used for well over two weeks, the tiny oval part fell off - which reminded me - as if I needed reminding - that Mr. HCB is having his cataract operation at 5.30 p.m. this afternoon.  He heard yesterday that his Covid test was negative, so it’s all systems go.  It will be very strange for me, because when I collect him two or three hours later, it will be the first time I have driven at night for well over a year, but the road to the hospital is very well lit, so I’m not envisaging any problems.  Thank you all for your kind wishes for Mr. HCB - we were both very touched. 

“What soap is to the body,
     laughter is to the soul.”
Yiddish Proverb