An Odd Little Figure

Here’s a picture.

Perhaps you would like to venture a guess as to what it is and how it was formed.

Have you made a mental note?  Left your answer?

Well, I was going to delay gratification, but I might not have time to post later.

Look below the fold for the explanation.

When I was growing up, we always molded the old sliver of soap onto the new bar for use in the shower.  I can’t remember why I quit doing this after I got married.  It might have been because a certain someone who shares the bathroom didn’t like a bar of soap all misshapen.
We’ve come a long way since then.  I’m just sayin’.

This meant there were several little bitty pieces of soap in a bowl in the cabinet.  Waste Not, Want Not.

One evening, I decided to have a science experiment.
Knowing that a very important ingredient for soap is fat, I figured we could melt all the littles into one big, which I could use at the laundry room sink as a girly balance for the LAVA soap, which the VW mechanic insists is necessary.

There were several cans in the bin to go out for re-cycle.  I put a few slivers of soap into each can (without regard to what kind of soap they were, such as deodorant or complexion) put the cans into a big old pot, poured water in until it was halfway up the outsides of the cans, a makeshift bain marie.

I set the pot on the stove and got the water to boiling.

It was quite interesting to watch the melting.  Some of the soaps never did go full liquid, they sorta got warmer and changed shape, allowing the others to form in around it.
It took 3 days for them to harden.  To get them out of the cans, I had to open the bottoms with a can opener, then push the bar up to the top.
The final count was 7 round new bars.  This is the last one.

I’ve forgotten how many years ago we held the event. I think Lucas was still at home, so that’s a minimum of three.  Yet I seem to remember Joe (our college chemistry major) being an assistant with the stirring, so that makes it 5 years already.

There is another small bowl full of soap pieces in the cabinet.
I should pull out the cans and pot of water again soon.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Correction Update next day:
After discussion, Mister says he did not protest the shape.
His objection was that I mixed the types of soap