This little story was first published in 1931, at the start of America’s Great Depression. As difficult as that time was, Grandmother felt that the 1870s was the “harder” time. Hard times aren’t unprecedented and for us in 2020 with our many concerns about the future, advice from past generations is always encouraging. From Grandmother: …
How to Bring Summer to the Soul
from 1933–It is common things that quench thirst, not rare things; ordinaries, not luxuries; not palatial houses, but a home; not royal wine, but cold water; good health, kind friends, encouraging words, loving deeds, duty done, heartaches healed, a grasp, a clasp, a kiss, a smile, a song, a welcome–these are the beams that bring …
Soapmaking–a useful skill in a dirty world, plus an easy recipe
Lately I keep running into people who want to learn how to make their own soap. Soapmaking can be an art form, most definitely, but it should also be a basic skill. After all, up until the last hundred years or so, nearly all housewives knew how to make the soap for their families’ needs. Even though …
Growing Garden Huckleberries (and a pie filling recipe)
The problem with growing your own fruit is that you often have to wait years after planting the trees and bushes to get a decent-sized harvest. Enter the garden huckleberry. Garden huckleberries are unique because they are annual plants. The berries are firm, shiny, black, and grow in clusters on bushes approximately the size of a tomato …
