Painter of Words

A ‘Duel’

ThePainter — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:37:44 +0000

BBC has done it again…

There is a God

ThePainter — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:08:26 +0000

Despite the fact that people place country music below heavy metal in terms of how it affects our ability to think and reason, my family listen to country music. We always have. Most are about someone dying, cheating, or leaving but there are a few that stick with you, like this one. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

A little Friendly Persuasion

ThePainter — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:08:29 +0000

Once in a while there comes a movie that captivates me so and I can watch every minute of it twice and maybe three times in a very short time. From the cast, music, and simpleness of it, Friendly Persuasion is one of my favourite movies. It was made in 1956 and stars Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire.

It is one of the few movies set in Indiana (my home state) during the Civil War. Morgan’s Raid is the main theme for the actual war, but most of the movie deals with the lives of the hilarious, loving, Quaker family, the Birdwells.

I laugh every time I watch this movie and I can’t help smile when I see Samantha, the goose. If you’ve seen it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. All around I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and might even buy it for my birthday, if I can find it anywhere. I would recommend this movie for an easy, fun loving movie night.

Women Who Make the Best Wives

ThePainter — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:11:55 +0000

From an 1895 book on life…

Women Who Make the Best Wives

1. Conscious of the Duties of Her Sex. - A woman conscious of the duties of her sex, one who unflinchingly discharges the duties allotted to her by nature, would no doubt make a good wife.

2. Good Wives and Mothers. - The good wives and mother are the women who believe in the sisterhood of women as well as in the brotherhood of men. The highest exponent of this type seeks to make her home something more than an abode where children are fed, clothes, and taught the catechism, The State has taken her children into politics by making their education a function of politicians. The good wife and homemakers says to her children, “Where thou goest, I will go.” She puts of her own inclinations to ease and selfishness. She studies the men who propose to educate her children; she exhorts mothers to sit beside fathers on the school board; she will even herself accept such thankless office in the interests of the helpless youth of the schools who need a mother’s as well as a father’s and a teacher’s care in this field of politics.

3. A Busy Woman. -As to whether a busy woman, that is , a woman who labors for mankind in the world outside her home, whether such an one can also be a good housekeeper, and care for her children, and make a real “Home Sweet Home!” with all the comforts by way of variation why! I am ready, as the result of years practical experience as a busy woman, to assert that women of affairs can also be women of true domestic tastes and habits.

4. Brainy Enough. - What kind of women make the best wives? The woman who is brainy enough to be a companion, wise enough to be a counselor, skilled enough in the domestic virtues to be a good housekeeper, and loving enough to guide in true paths the children with whom the home may be blessed.

5. Found the Right Husband. - The best wife is the woman who has found the right husband, a husband who understands her. A man will have the best wife when he rates that wife as queen among women. Of all women she should always be to him the dearest. This sort of man will not only praise the dishes made by his wife, but will actually eat them.

6. Bank Account. - He will allow his life companion a bank account, and will exact no itemized bill at the end of the month. Above all, he will pay the Easter bonnet bill without a word, never bring a friend to dinner without first telephoning home, -shore, he will comprehend that the woman who makes the best wife is the woman whom, by his indulgence of her ways and whims, he makes the best wife. So after all, good husbands have the most to do with making good wives.

7. Best Home Maker. - A woman to be the best home makers needs to be devoid of intensive “nerves.” She must be need and systematic, but not too neat, lest she destroy the comfort she endeavors to create. She must be distinctly amiable, ,while firm. She should have no “career,” or desire for a career, if she would fill to perfection the home sphere. She must be affectionate, sympathetic and patient, and fully appreciative of the worth and dignity of her sphere.

8. Know Nothing Whatsoever About Cooking or Sewing or Housekeeping. - I am inclined to make my answer to this question somewhat concise, after the manner of a text without the sermon. Like this: To be the “best wife” depends upon three things: first, an abiding faith with God; second, duty lovingly discharged as daughter, wife and mother; third, self improvement, mentally, physically and spiritually. With this as a text and as a glittering generality, let me touch upon one to tow practical essentials. I the course of every week it is my privileged to meet hundreds of young women - perspective wives. I am astonished to find that many of these know nothing whatsoever about cooking of sewing or housekeeping. Now, if a woman cannot broil a beefsteak, nor boil the coffee when it is necessary, if she cannot mend the linen, nor patch a coat, if she cannot make a bed, order the dinner, create a lamp shade, ventilate the house, nor do anything practical in the way of making home actually a home, how can she expect to make even a good wife, not so speak of a better of best wife? I need not continue this sermon. Wise girls will understand.

9. The Best Keeper of Home. - As to who is the best keeper of this transition home, memory pictures to me a woman grown white under the old slavery, still bound by it, in that little out-of-the-way Kansas town, but never so bound that she could not put aside the household tasks, at any time, for social intercourse, for religious conversation, for correspondence, for reading, and, above all, for making everyone who came near her feel that her home was the expressions of herself, a place of rest, study, and cultivation of affection. She did not exist for her walls, her carpets, her furniture; they existed for her and all who came to her. She considered herself the equal of all; and everyone else thought her the superior of all.

Homemade Salve #1

ThePainter — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:09:10 +0000

Today we attempted quite successfully our first homemade salve. We followed the directions from Shoshanna, who just had her little girl, and added our own ingredients. We enjoyed every minute of it and can’t wait til we run out so we can conjure up another batch.

The ingredients

We had an almost equal amount of plantain, yarrow, and comfrey, maybe a little bit more of the latter. Also some beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E oil. For our containers we used some old Altoids tins and some retired spice holders.

Plantain pulls out the poisons…

Yarrow grew on battlefields and was used to stop bleeding…

Comfrey knits almost too well the skin after a break, fracture, or cut…

The beeswax we bought at the State Fair

The liquid state

Aren’t they cute

The salves in the process of setting

And as far as the Plantain Tincture goes…it is wonderful. We put it on bug bits and anything suspicious. It is also helping my complexion.

How Oliver passes the day…

ThePainter — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:31:25 +0000

Oliver is an indoor cat…much to his disappointment. To him, it’s kind of boring.

He has spent the warmer months wishing he was outside.

The outside cats taunt him as they stretch in the sun.

Sometimes the cats want inside when winter comes. He responds to their summer lounging by laying in front of a heater…too bad they can’t see him.

After two years he still wants to be outside. Even if he has to be in the cheap seats.

Then he tries to stare us into submission. It doesn’t work.

Home Business #2

ThePainter — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:06:28 +0000

After the mini announcement of our homemade salves and soaps business we have also set the wheels in motion for our second home business; golf covers. After being contacted with someone through a friend, we sized and experimented to create our first golf covers for our customer. It will be part of our schooling; creating receipts, conducting business professionally, and learning how to cash checks and handle money.

The gentleman who was kind enough to be our guinea pig has also said that he thinks this could go off as a wonderful business. Apparently many people enjoy these covers and a small scale business like ours would be refreshing and affordable. We already have a few more names in mind for potential customers. I’m giddy with the prospects of where this might go. I’m not a golfer nor do I really enjoy the game but if it can add to our home business - swing on!

Lavender Soap

ThePainter — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:56:24 +0000

A little secret we’ve been working on…a hobby business we plan on calling Maggie’s Salves and Soaps. Can you guess what it is going to be? Yep, a little business of homemade soaps and herbal salves. We have plants ready for next year, quarts of dried herbs for the winter, and a constant supply of information flooding into my brain. I’ve been wanting to be able to have a hobby, a real hobby, which could help bring in some money and be so much fun at the same time. Herbs are my calling…I think.

We’ve made our second batch of soap with dried lavender flowers and lavender essential oils (compliments to cousins Deena and Joy for indulging in our scheme). We used two tablespoons of dried lavender and 4 drops of essential oils. The smell is almost an addiction to me…I know it’s in the house and I have to go smell some more. It’s so lovely.

The little specks are the dried lavender…

As for lavender’s medicinal value it is calming externally and internally. Some other benefits are women and children’s health, the nervous system, and pain relief. Lavender also aids the skin’s health. It is also one of the most sought after herbs.

State Fair…my own musical!

ThePainter — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:12:59 +0000

The Wool Drying Basket

The State Fair this year was wonderful! Both of my two projects (#1 and #2 ) received blue ribbons and one special merit. If you know anything about state fairs, at least in our state fair, a special merit really does mean special. It’s difficult to obtain one. Yet for the first time, if I remember correctly, I have a special merit ribbons next to my name “Margaret —–”. The honor went to my socks! My dear little Victorian styled socks! The top photo shows a picture of my basket with its blue ribbon nestled near my name. This year’s outcomes are probably the highest rated in my eight years of 4-H.

There it is…the orange Special Merit ribbon.

Red Clover Tea

ThePainter — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:13:30 +0000

Red Clover Tea

With our head over heals dive into herbs we’ve found plenty of wonderful things growing in our yard, garden, and favourite roadsides. God’s mercies even in a simple plant is amazing, but then again, we have an awesome God don’t we?

Red Clover is a lot like alfalfa in both aroma and medicinal properties, and Mom told me that when she was little they would grow clover hay. A blood purifier, it holds calcium, chromium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium let alone a not too bad flavor when steeped. Remember picking the blossoms and sucking on them when you were a child? Red Clover has been associated with women and children’s health concerns which is one of the reason’s my mother is taking it daily. The flowers can be used fresh or dried, but I’ve read that it is best to use dried blossoms, at least for a tea.

Stay tuned for our Plantain Tincture!