Living Like the Past

I have been enjoying my time off from blogging, getting my home ready before my surgery and resting my brain from electronics. I knew that I was feeling pressures from electronics but did not realize how consuming electronics have become and how they have slowed down getting things done in my home and robbed me of mental clarity.I feel that the internet has cause many of us to be addicted and that is what the electronic industry wants us to be. We need to relearn how to be present. When we do find something of interest on the internet, read it like a book when there is time after chores and meals are done. Stepping away from the computer and ......

What is our purpose?For the first 13 years of my life, I lived in the city of Memphis Tennessee. I understood rural living because when visiting my mothers side of the family we would drive to the Mississippi delta. When we moved to Alabama, I was thirteen and that was the beginning of my knowledge how families farmed the old way, the simple way of farming and raising a family from your farm. Raising your animals, growing your food and living with very little money. I made friends with the most wonderful people that eventually would become my in-laws. They raised nine children on a small farm without electricity and running water, my mother in law sewed quilts an ......

We continue the reading of Sarah's 1932 diary. Sunday, May 8, 1932. Some clouds and some sunshine, altogether a good day. Had the usual necessary tasks outdoors and inside. Made preparation and attended Church and S.S. services at both of which, special tribute was paid to the mothers - this being Mother's Day. Home for dinner. Looked after the chickens and then Lay down and took a good nap. Father & I were alone today. I was quite well remembered by the children. Ernest, Vera & Jimmie here this evening. 10:30.Monday, May 9. Cloudy a good part of the day but, a good breeze astir this P.M. Had the usual morning tasks indoo ......

There is something very missed today, many of us feel it, some never have because they have not been exposed to this because it is becoming rare. It is not too late because all we have to do is become what is needed.This person was unassuming, modest, polite, pleasant. Did not wish for attention and quietly went on with work without any want for attention. This person was settled, pleasant, humble and there was such comfort that I had a desire to resemble this unassuming person. In my past of long ago I could describe many people that were unassuming and gentle, one would have been my Aunt Ruth. I have mentioned her before in my posts. Aunt R ......

We continue our readings from Sarah's diary. Today's diary starts the beginning of the month of May.Sunday, May 1, 1932. May the 1st and it takes a fire in the stove to make one comfortable. Had the usual morning tasks & then worked for quite a while with the chickies. Made preparations and attended the church & S.S. services. Home and prepared dinner. Harry, Polly & family here for dinner and the afternoon. Usual evening tasks to see to, tired and sleepy.Monday, May 2, 1932. A find bright day with a good stiff breeze astir. Had the usual early morning tasks, saw to the young chickens and then got busy with the washing for both ......

We can plant a seed and watch it grow into a beautiful flower, vegetable, fruit. With the extra long grayness this winter and spring the flowers are so very welcome. I did some research to find a type of lavender that would grow in our climate because the lavender I planted in the past struggled to grow. The only lavender I have grown before was from starts so I decided to try and grow lavender from seed and I chose Oregano lavender and a Torch Blue Lavender seeds. The center of this photo inside the wire is lavender. Five of the seeds germinated and have been growing ever since. I hope they will do well.We have cages that we grow lettuce, celery and ......

Sunday, April 24, 1932. Dull, dark, cloudy and rainy with one good shower this P.M. Had the usual necessary morning tasks to see to and the young Chickies to care for. Made preparation and with Joseph and his family, attended church and S.S. services. (Father did not feel like going.) Got back for noon about 11:45. Saw to the chickies, served dinner &did some reading. Then Father & I and Joseph & Family all motored to Franklin & Carlisle visiting with Willard & wife & Miles and home for evening tasks. Ernest, V & Jimmie here this evening.Monday, April 25. Somewhat rainy, dull & cloudy this A.M. early but things cleared up soon. Had the usual mo ......

The squirrels understand, they are wise, they know how and what to do. They forage for food, when it storms they stretch their body upside down on a tree and cover themselves with their tail. One year we had a storm and Charles was cutting up limbs that had fallen. He brought in and showed me this limb that he had cut into and found that a squirrel had stored acorns inside this tree. This was a squirrels pantry and was storing nuts for the winter season. Charles sliced off a piece of this extraordinary find and we preserved this to use as a reminder to always store extra food.Birds are truly amazing and have brilliant minds and abilities. Just look at a ......

Sunday, April 17. A fine bright, beautiful day, though still chilly. Had the usual morning tasks and then attended to the baby chicks. Dressed and went to the Sunday services. Prof. Alfred Watkins and the Boys Chorus of Lebanon Hi School gave a program of sacred music, occupying the house for regular preaching service. All enjoyed it fully. S.S. followed. Then we drove home and looked after the poultry & got Sherley and the little boys & all drove to Harry's for dinner. Home for evening tasks. Ernest here this evening. Monday, April 18. A beautiful, bright day. Though still cold. Did not feel able to wash on account of my ......

The seasons offer us many opportunities if we only pay attention. Late winter and spring is a time that wakens the resting plants and brings on blooms and this is our signal that we are getting to planting time. Summer brings on heat that certain fruits and vegetables need or they will not grow. Fall signals us with beautiful golden and orange colors that it is time to finish the harvest so that we are prepared for winter. Winter is time to nourish ourselves from our pantry with the vegetables, fruit and meat that we put away during the other three seasons. It is time to clean and repair our tools, to mend and work on those projects that make our home t ......

Sunday, April 10. Another, gloomy, dark, drizzling, rainy day, all through. Had the usual morning tasks to see to indoors and outside. Made preparation and attended church and S.S. service. Home for dinner. This P.m. father, Joseph & I made calls on the sick - Mr. & Mrs. Wysong and daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Slagel and family, Mr & Mrs. Smith & family, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Singer. Home for evening tasks. Ernest, Vera, Jimmie here this evening. Monday, April 11. Still sizzling, sozzling, drizzling rain all this A.M. clearing this P.M. almost to brightness, anyhow to lightness. Decided to post pone the washing. Had the regular dail ......

In between storms we have been working on projects in and around the house. The yard needed a major clean up and we have been making new garden beds.These are our yard work rockers. Inside I have been sewing curtains and doggie collars. The girls collars were very worn and I have been needing to take the time to sit down and make new ones. Here is Bernadette's new collar and as you can see the green one above was completely worn out. It lasted for several years. The large magnolia tree next door shares some of it's limbs and flowers on our side and I absolutely love them. I cannot wait until they are all open and the fragrance is wonderf ......

I started posting Sarah's diary on December 28, 1922. I took a little pause during some health issues but I am getting the diary postings back on track with this diary posting.In Sarah's writings she addresses her husband as Father. Many people did this in the past, when children address their father as Father often their mother will start addressing her husband as Father. Even though we have ended the great depression study and moved to living a simple old fashioned life, I want to finish this diary of Sarah because it is a great diary to learn how it was to work hard and live during the great depression years. Sarah and her husband live in Ohio. They have a ......

First off I would like to say that we are okay here where we live, storms have been very severe this past week in the southeast part of the country and they are continuing into this week. I took this picture yesterday as the storms had pushed away and the clouds were beautiful.I have continued to sort and organize and some things that were boxed up I am actually unboxing. Less stored and if it is not something that makes us happy then it goes away. I decided to lay out some doilies and things I have of my mother's and put them on top of the sewing machine which used to be her machine. She loved music boxes so these two music boxes bring me happiness. Her crystal pitch ......

I am winding down on my organizing. I hope to be finished by the end of this week and I should have the back guest room/sorting room finished as well. This has been a long project because I do many different types of hand work. The cleaning out of the old wood shop and storage building set us back because that required so much sorting. As soon as warmer weather gets here we spend a few days off and on at the Myrtle. Charles still visits Madge each Friday and takes her groceries. I was in and out to the clothesline yesterday and I had an interesting visitor.A hawk came for a visit here in the backyard. I went in and got my bigger lens for the cam ......

This was a busy day today. I finally cleaned the chandelier. I will take you along for the cleaning journey.It was so dirty! The floor dust probably did part of it but it has been overdue.So each round cup with crystals went into the bowl of shame to be washed.Then into the rinse...Ouuueeee... I love sparkly. See, this is just like everything it is just getting it started and then we are glad we did.I used a old art brush because I didn't want the glass to cut my fingers. Moving along...Now I have to get to the upper and lower crystals that are attached. Some fall off but I just put them back on when it is hanging.To get to these I just hold a bowl under them ......

Getting the house put in better order is slow because many other things to do outside This is normal though, each of us is just one person. If our day is already busy it can be difficult to make room for something else to do and sometimes that requires putting something off until another day.This chair coordinates better in our bedroom since we put all brown furniture in the bedroom after the remodel. Our girls (our doggies) sleep in our room so they have a night time water bowl in the bedroom. We will see if using the portiere's at the doorways will help with cooling this summer. It helped this winter by directing the heat to the rooms that we were using or k ......

Charles and I both feel like we cannot catch up since the time change. We have lost an hour of sleep with the time change because we cannot seem to get our bedtime straightened out. When we change our clocks, we check our fire smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Then when we get up high might as well look for cobwebs and get them while we are at it. Remember our baby seedlings that I was putting in the window ledge? I planted them on January 19 & 20. This was only a few weeks later I took this photo above. Well, they have grown a lot since then. This is the same tomato seedlings. They have been outside basking in 80 plus degree temperat ......

Yesterdays Post I talked about finishing up and starting to put the furniture back in the bedroom. I am re-arranging and swapping out furniture as I go. So I am putting the wash stand here. I painted this piece last year. We started putting the other pieces of furniture in the room. I decided to put all of our brown pieces together and the white pieces together in the guest rooms. But what this has done is I have had to take everything out of every piece of furniture. Oh the stuff!This brings us to the dresser, my dresser from when I was a child. If you have ever heard the saying, if only this piece could talk, well this one can by using my ......

It is late winter here but the flowers do not seem to understand this, they say that it is spring. They must have not seen the memo from the Groundhog. Since the leaves have come out on the apple tree, I wonder if this will become an apple on this branch? Our young tree presented us with one very delicious apple last year. We hope for more this year. Do you think this is a good house? Asks, Mrs. Bluebird. Seems like Mr. Bluebird has different ideas. Do you think the landlord will sturdy up this house? I'll go ask! Looks like it is not just the trees and flowers that think spring will be here soon. I have been quite a ......