When Queens Ride By

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...

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...