Concentrate on Home

Above is Bernadette in early morning looking out her lookout window. We all have our routines and so does Bernadette. 

I feel that we are in a time that we need to concentrate on our home and family.  There is much tension here in our Nation and many places in the world.  Wherever you live and you are reading this post, this is a time that we need to concentrate on home, family and also neighbors.  

The world is mixed up and instead of worry, we should strengthen our home by putting our concentrated efforts in repairing, mending, stocking our supplies and get real with our budget and meal planning.  Also, we are changing seasons, so this is an especially good time to do these things.

It is also time to learn, and that is to learn how people lived before computers and cellphones.  Learn the simple life

I have finally cleared my table of notebooks and ledgers, and have the budget book in order, the menu planning is done.  As I sit here and type I can hear the sounds of pecans falling from the tree as they thump on the ground or bounce off the walkway. It is mostly the squirrels getting their early share off the tree.  They know that it is time for them to store away for the coming fall and winter.  We should pay attention to the wildlife, we can learn so much from them.

Several years ago Charles was cleaning up the yard after a limb had fallen.  He was cutting up the limb and found this inside one of the limbs. Small acorns had been stored inside this hole in the limb.  The acorns kept falling out so I poured some Hodge Podge to keep the acorns in place so we could keep this as a reminder to store and prepare. 

I look at trees, old logs and holes in the ground much differently now and wonder if there is something stored, which most likely there is.

So much in the world seems to be a serious mess but that does not mean that wherever we call home has to be this way.

Our summer garden has been a big flop this year but that does not mean I will never plant again.  I will keep putting the seeds in the ground and in the pots and keep trying because that is what we should do.  I have had seeds that I have planted to not come up but the next year I have surprise plants that emerged from last years seeds. 

A friend of ours lived in an apartment and he had a very small patio, most of it was covered but he had five gallon buckets filled with soil and he had the most beautiful vegetables growing on that small patio.

Early in the morning (still dark) I allow myself a half hour to read the headlines, then check the weather, after that I check messages and emails.  I do this in order of bad to good which bad is the headlines so I will know if something has blown up, if there has been an earthquake, or some disaster or awful event that I should know about.  Then comes the weather so we can be prepared for the whatever's, then messages and emails.  This is my part of the day that is modern 2024 but the rest of the day is more like 1940s here at our house now.

I remember the beginning of the series of Downton Abbey where the morning newspaper was late because of the sinking of the Titanic.  So it is pretty normal that we get some kind of news in the morning. In 1940 the newspaper was very important to people. 

After my news and message time, whoever gets into the kitchen first puts on the kettle.  Charles and I both start right away with the pets morning needs, once they are all pottied, fed, then pottied again everyone is happy and so we can start our morning. 

Charles and I always have morning prayers, breakfast, and the day is started.  

This week I have been working on my mending pile, Even though sometimes is is difficult to get started, once I get started the momentum will follow. 

This weekend Charles and I are going to wash our windows inside and out.  We missed the spring cleaning but we will not miss the fall cleaning. We both feel better when our windows are clean. When we wash our windows we inspect for cracks or places that need caulking. 

Last week it was apple pie, this week I made two pear pies because a friend shared five large pears off her tree. This gave me enough to make pie for us and pie to share.  These are not deep dish pie pans, these are the 1930s, 9 inch and 8 inch dish. My pear pie recipe is on my blog under cooking from scratch.  It is pretty far back but keep scrolling and it will show up.

I keep basic staples stored so I can make a pie or cake, or a casserole on a short notice.  This is the way that it was in the past, even through hard times.  A pot of chicken and dumplings, Shephard pie or a quick fruit pie.  A quick pasta meal can feed many people.  This type of food is not as expensive to make compared to a meal that requires a lot of different ingredients.  Our new budget will not allow us to have meals that have many different ingredients. 

I am working through the months now on the new budget and new menu. This will take time to see how it goes and where we might need to adjust.  This month of August started off good but then was a bit difficult to stay on budget with the food.  We may need to add another $25.00 to our week of $100.00 budget. Due to this, I may be canning a lot more next year. 

Charles and I are still making our soaked whole wheat pancakes on the weekend and freezing them to eat during the week. This is Sunday's stash we cooked. We will not need to cook any next weekend.  These are good for when unexpected family arrives, a breakfast food can be eaten for any meal, especially for the grandchildren.  By the way, all of our Grandchildren are adults now and we are expecting another great grandbaby in January.  I may have said that in another post but I will say it again. 

Since I am talking about pancakes and pies, it might sound like we are getting too much sugar or carbs but I use very little sugar, the pie crust is thin and completely homemade, the fruit is fresh and our meals have fresh vegetables at each meal with smaller amounts of meat since meat is so expensive now.  So we are considering our health but with the economy we also must consider the budget. Long ago the pie was very helpful to help fill the belly or when someone stopped by there was something to offer to eat.  A nice thing to share with a neighbor, and especially when fruit was in season. 

I am concerned that if things get more expensive than they already are that people that normally can afford to eat whatever they want and when they want may have a difficult time adjusting.  

Also we must consider disruptions in todays time, not being able to purchase items due to outages or delivery delays.  Delivery delays such as in trucking and railroad delays. It is time to pay attention and it is the time to strengthen our home. 

Charles and I are enjoying this cozy 1940's life, it feels right and we are learning from this part of the past so we can be stronger in our real time today.

I found a cute blanket at the thrift store for two dollars.  I am using it to cover the side of the stacked dog kennels to keep the fan air draft off of our little dog Katherine (aka Katie).  

Our pets are getting older now and so we are at a point they need extra care. They sleep in kennels at night beside our bed.  Katie, will be 17 the first of December, she is a dachshund, and becoming very delicate and gets cold easily.  

This is Katie.  Dachshunds burrow and like to be under blankets, Katie's whole life she has burrowed under blankets.  Now she can no longer burrow and cover herself up so this is a new stage we are in.  I made her a sweater blanket for when she gets cold and I cover her when she sleeps. She learned to walk up and down a ramp that Charles made her when it started getting difficult to go up our two steps to the porch.  Now we carry her outside and back inside because the ramp is difficult and she will fall down the steps.  

She does have her moments when she will bounce in a playful way but then will want to go to sleep for several hours. Each day her naps get longer and we know to show her our love. Elizabeth and Bernadette (our other two doggies) are noticing that Katherine is not her playful self.  

Some people think that pets were not inside the home in the 1930s and 1940s but they were.  There were veterinarians and special breeds and in the old newspapers from 1940 there were ads for dog beds for the house and bird cages and toys for pets. 

Charles has been fascinated with the lemon sponge shown on the series All Creatures Great and Small so the next dessert will be the lemon sponge. I am looking forward to making that for an upcoming birthday.  This will be a wonderful late 1930's dessert.  

Yesterday we changed things up a bit and ate beef soup with soba noodles, cabbage, spring onions and peas. 

Here are some more recipes from Mary's 1924 handwritten recipe book. 

Second page to the Bible cake

I do not have any other way to enlarge these recipes but some of you have computer screens and tablets that will enlarge to read them.  I have not posted many of them but I will keep doing so a few every once in awhile.

Have any of you been strengthening your home in different ways?  Are you living more prepared than you would have been ten or so years ago?  Please share in the forum where we get really good ideas to help each other in the forum.

Grandma Donna