When Queens Ride By

Everyone is all tucked into bed after a pretty busy day. Even John went up earlier than usual this evenin'.  I am finally going to write down my remembrance of last Sunday at church and the harvest party before I forget the details! After Lila left I waited until John and I had a few minutes of quiet. The children had their lunch and were being entertained with a radio show so I made a nice pot of coffee and John and I had a tasty slice of pie with it on the porch.  I told him of Lila's invitation and he sat quiet for what seemed like an eternity!  Finally , he said he 'sposed there would be no reason to refuse the invite, might prove right fun for the children and we maybe ought to be thinkin' of getting the children to church. I was hoping he would feel this way! We told the children of the following day's plans and they just about jumped out of thier britches with excitement. Soon as I cleared the snack away I went into the house to make preparations. John ca...

I am not quite sure where to begin recounting the weekend. It certainly was unlike any me and John have ever had.  Saturday morning I was finishin' up my baking when I heard the sound of a motor. Couldn't imagine who would be stoppin' by and was I ever surprised to see the pastor's wife Lila and some of her children gettin' out of the motorcar.  My she sure looked pretty. She had on a cream colored dress with little rosebuds in the pattern. Her gloves were cream colored too and her hat was a straw one with little roses on it. I can't say she was fancy dressed , just real fresh and dainty like. I hurredly took off my soiled apron and put on a clean one. I did have an older dress on , but I had mended it and with the apron I don't suppose I was too much of a sight. I ran and took a quick look in the mirror and was so glad I had decided to braid my hair and pull it into a twist. The kitchen was just showing the work of the morning, nothing like when the hig...

My lands today was another full day! I put up 20 jars of my homemade tomato sauce, 20 jars of tomato soup and 15 jars of my momma's piccalilli. I am dead tired but looking at the rows of canned jars down the root cellar has me glowing with pride.  That tomato patch I worked so hard at was a dead loss in the marketing sense of the way things are, but I was determined they wouldn't go to waste. I learned my lesson real good. Tomorrow I am going to finish canning the rest of the tomato's after the washing is done. John knew I was upset over the loss of the tomato patch , but being the gentleman he is he didn't say a word. Just came in the kitchen for lunch and said something smelled so good he could smell it all the way to the barn. I told him to go along with himself ,but that flattery will get you a second piece of pie for sure! Little Jim came home with a B on his latest spelling test, but he is still strugglin' with his math facts. John tooks some heavy paper...

As glorious Autumn unfolds, my mind is still wrapped around all the 'fall cleaning'. Well, if I am honest I haven't done a Spring or Fall cleaning in so many years that I shouldn't call it anything but deep cleaning I guess. My Mum always said cleanliness was next to Godliness. I am thinkin' maybe she was right. I managed to get the entire parlour cleaned spit spot and put in right order. Oh the mess! The shades had been drawn for over a year as we never went in there. We were either too doggone tired at night that we just fell in bed or there weren't no place to sit comfortable like anyway we just didn't bother.  All the curtains came down and got a washin' as well as the windows and woodwork. I took the sofa and chair cushions outside to air in the sun and gave 'em a good bangin' too. Quite a bit of dust flew out I hate to admit!  I stitched a new cover for the rockin chair cushions and draped one of my mother's afghans over it and it loo...

This weekend was just a whirlwind of activity! I didn't have time to jot down one thought 'til now. Saturday, while John brought the milk to town, the children and I got to work. Little Jim and Bobby had instructions to start clearing the back walk of all rubbish and bringing buckets and bins to the barn door where John could decide what to do with them. I was going to get that side of the house gussied up. After the highway lady walked through there and I was so embarrassed by the mess I had that on my list of things to do.  A nice clean path and some bulbs planted for Spring blooming would look right pretty I figured.  RuthAnn and I started the days baking. Boy did we get alot done and what a treat to have my little girl beside me in her apron just happy to help her Mama.  We made batches of apple muffins, apple cakes, apple and oatmeal cookies and four apple pies! I figure we could just about use up our whole orchard with baking if need be! John came home just befo...

Another early mornin' saw me fixin' a hearty breakfast of flapjacks, bacon and eggs today! I also got the day's bread dough mixed and ready to rise. It's refreshing to get up before everyone else and start the day. Little Jim was dressed in a clean , ironed shirt and pants and sent off to school with his books and lunch tin. Where has the time gone? That little boy of mine looked like a man walkin' down the lane to school all smiles. Makes my momma's heart proud. John was just returnin' from the milkin' and gave little Jim a pat on the head and some more encouragin' words about his school studies. Jim seems to be a bit happier going out the door to school since John has been helping him with his math and spelling in the eves. My husband is really such a lovin' man and I feel blessed to have him! John was looking confident this morn as he told me he was on his way to see Percy at the store. I had a clean and ironed shirt and pants for John's t...

This morn I rose at 4:30 am, a full hour before our normal rising time. I crept silently past John and down the back hall steps and entered my clean kitchen with a smile. It had been many years since I started the day in a clean, orderly kitchen. I felt a new zest for life just bursting within me!   I started the stove and got the large pots on to boil for a bath. I took a nice soak and scrubbed my hair. A nice dash of rose water graced my bath and it clung to my skin when I got out and dried off. My hair took longer to brush than I thought, but I wanted it to lay like silk so I brushed every tangle out thoroughly. After dressing in my best dress again, I put a large pot of oatmeal on and the coffee to perk. I went out to get some fresh eggs from the hens and came in to work on making John and the children a delicious breakfast. No more hastily prepared meals was my hope. I set the table up real pretty with a little vase of my own sunflowers I had grown. The field of sunflowers I...