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Across the Fence:  "The Ideal Homemaker"  |
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mollymae
True Blue Farmgirl
694 Posts
Molly
Visalia
California
USA
694 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 07:07:27 AM
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Last night I was reading in one of my favorite homemaking books, it's from the late 60's, entitled "The Art of Homemaking". The beginning of the introduction has this little snippet and it seemed so fitting to share with my wonderful lovely farmgirl friends:
~Grandmother, on a winter's day, milked the cows and fed them hay, slopped the hogs, saddled the mule, then got the children off to school, did a washing, mopped the floors, washed the windows, and did some chores; cooked a dish of home-dried fruit, pressed her husband's Sunday suit.
Swept the parlor, made the bed, baked a dozen loaves of bread, split some firewood, and then lugged in enough to fill the kitchen bin; cleaned the lamps and put in oil, stewed some apples she thought would spoil' churned thebutter, baked a cake, then exclaimed, "For heaven's sake, the calves have got out of the pen!" - went out and chased them in again.
Gathered the eggs and locked the stable, back to the house and set the table, cooked a supper that was delicious, and afterward washed up all the dishes, fed the cat and sprinkled the clothes, mended a basketful of hose; then opened the organ and began to play, "When You Come to the End of a Perfect Day." ~Author Unknown
Cead Mile Failte,
Molly
"This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet."~Rumi
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quiltedess
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Nancy
Priest River
ID
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 07:53:30 AM
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Oh how absolutely wonderful!!! Thanks for posting that.
One other thing MollyMae. I just (yesterday) "uncovered" the absolutely very cool and beautiful Mail Art you sent. I LOVE the picture of your great-grandmother! How precious is that! And your drawing is dreamy, I'd like to live there. The tiny house in the background is not unlike the picture of my "dream" home that I posted under the decorating topic just now. Thank you so much. My excuse is that in the process of moving, things get moved around quite frequently and temporarily lost. I sure hope I haven't "lost" too many bills. :-)
Nancy |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 08:50:18 AM
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I love stuff like that Molly. I have a huge collection of cookbooks from the 40's & 50's with ideas and tips like that. I sometimes would like to go back to those days!
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 09:38:52 AM
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Thanks Molly for posting that... I never knew my farmgirl grandmother, she died before I was born at the age of 43. I would imagine she would have been like that.
Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 10:17:43 AM
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I have that book too!! Thanks for the reminder..I would love to somehow frame that and put it in my kitchen or somewhere..LOVE IT!!
In the meantime I do have a little wooden plaque from the 50's from Yosemite that has a picture of a gal in an apron (green..my favorite color!) that says.."Thank God for dirty dishes, they have a tale to tell. While others may go hungry, we are eating very well. With home, health and happiness I shouldn't want to fuss..by the stack of evidence Gods been very good to us."
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 10:28:47 AM
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Ahhh, girls, so inspiring AND a tribute to our heritage, isn't it? Thanks for sharing.
Just got my latest issue of Body and Soul magazine. In MJ's column she talks about "Mother's Wit" ie, being creative and making do. I'm sure we all have that, or are definately cultivating it!
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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Edited by - Clare on Aug 13 2005 10:29:25 AM |
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mollymae
True Blue Farmgirl
694 Posts
Molly
Visalia
California
USA
694 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 11:16:48 AM
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Nancy...I'm so glad you like that piece of mail art, that was one of the very first I sent out! Jenny (Meadowlark) I never knew my farmgirl grandmother either, she died the year before I was born, at age 53. I have a real spiritual connection to her though. I just wish I could have known her here in this life! Jenny from Kansas, your mention of Yosemite brings back so many memories..I grew up 2 hours from there! Do you also have her "sequel" book, "The Joys of Homemaking"?? Mine both have inscriptions (to someone named Chris) and are signed by the author! Clare, I had a subscription, but not sure why I'm not receiving them...I'll have to go pick that issue up at Walmart or something. Body and Soul magazine was where I saw MJ for the first time!
Cead Mile Failte,
Molly
"This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet."~Rumi
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realme52
True Blue Farmgirl
106 Posts
Klara
Gatesville
Texas
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 4:07:25 PM
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Molly, thanks for sharing. I liked it so much, I copied it and will write it up nicely and hang it somewhere in my kitchen. Sounds like the scenario is much older than the 60's, don't you think? They probably took that quote and put it in their book because they wanted to show people how much better they were off living in the 60's! (I think: NOT!)
From this hour on I ordain myself loss'd of limits and immaginary lines. Walt Whitman |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2005 : 10:40:43 PM
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| What that reminds me of is that is why they all died by age 40 something...they were just too darn tired to live anymore I think. |
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marlyn
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
marlyn
Norwood
Ontario
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 06:29:38 AM
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Mollymae
I don't know whether the tears in my eyes( after reading your post) are from sheer laughter or sadness. We live on a working dairy and sheep farm. Its up at 4:30am to meet the cows, milk and muck out. Sheep are in the fields by 8:30am. I am the last one to get breakfast around here, if lucky before 10am. The rest of the morning is cleaning up stalls while the washmachine inside is doing its job. I homeschool three children 18, 13, and 9. They begin their lessons on their own but a portion of the noon hour and early afternoon is spent with them. Housework then by 4pm its time to drop the hay down for evening milking. Supper on the go( slow cookers are wonderful!). Milking at 6pm till around 8:30pm. Sheep brought in, cows out. Dogs (5 of them) fed, cats fed, hand wash dishes, check homework, prepare lessons and if a good night I work on the quilt in the parlour.Haying season is just finished as is the grain. I am so blessed to have children whom help with the laundry, dusting ,vacuuming, and gardening. DH works off the farm so a lot of things are up to me. Do I ever look forward to Sundays! Only farm work and supper to worry about. And you all wonder why I post only once and awhile?
Marlyn |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 10:57:01 AM
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| Marlyn, you are one hard workin' Farm Girl. Hats off to you. Don't think I could do it. |
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quiltedess
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Nancy
Priest River
ID
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 1:34:39 PM
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Marlyn: I am in awe! I'm glad that at least sometimes you can take a break and let us know what's happening in your busy life. I always knew that dairy farms were the hardest, but to do it with hubby working away from the farm is almost unbelievable. Please take good care of yourself!
Nancy |
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marlyn
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
marlyn
Norwood
Ontario
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 8:12:49 PM
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I have two sons whom are now men. One is in University far away from home, the other in the Ukraine doing missionary work. But in past years they have been of great help to me. In fact when they are home, I say I'm on holidays, but its only a state of mind. My 18 year old daughter helps out a lot, and the younger ones do a lot of housework. Its when the hay has to get in before the thunderstorm hits, or the corn before the frost. That's when we are really put to the test.
I wouldn't have life any other way. I'm called the energizer battery.
Marlyn |
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mollymae
True Blue Farmgirl
694 Posts
Molly
Visalia
California
USA
694 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 08:49:32 AM
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Marlyn, I am so glad you could relate to this and that it touched you the way it did :) You are definitely a hard worker!!!!
Cead Mile Failte,
Molly
"This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet."~Rumi
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Across the Fence: "The Ideal Homemaker" |
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"The Ideal Homemaker"
