Save Grandma’s Encyclopedia… I’ll Tell You Why

You should save Grandma’s encyclopedia and I’ll tell you why. It holds the history of the world and it’s more candidly told than it would be today. I’m reading an encyclopedia that was published in the early 1950’s and has an earlier publishing date of 1945. Meaning that the research was done during the early twentieth-century. Don’t let the outdated publishing deter you. I’m impressed by the accuracy of the scientific articles, much of what they wrote is just now hitting the mainstream.

When the writers, (probably the best in the world) wrote about cultures, they were not as concerned about offending people or being sued. Authors today must be socially and politically correct. Of course, in 1945, authors had ethics but the rules were different. I’ve not run across any encyclopedia writer who intentioned malice. The authors went around the world, wrote about the people and took pictures, or had a photographer. Their intent was to share the world to those back home.

I assume that Google is scanning old encyclopedias. I hope so. I also hope that people will take a second look at their value. If you do get rid of it, I hope it finds its way into the hands of people like me, who didn’t pay enough attention in school or wasn’t in Castile, Spain in 1940. But after reading the articles, I feel like I’ve been there. Even more so, after seeing the colorful pictures. And because the authors weren’t hindered by political correctness, I know exactly what the people looked like.

Suellen Ocean is the author of many books on diverse topics. Her books are available here: http://www.amazon.com/Suellen-Ocean/e/B001KC7Z78

OMG… Did the Bread Taste Like Cow Manure?

Believe it or not, Mid-Western Pioneers made cute little houses out of chunks of grass. They were so proud of their new homes, they put flowers in the window sill, happy to have a house. Even if it was made out of dirt.

Once the pioneers had a home, they built kitchens and the women went to work cooking and baking. There were no trees on the prairie, (if they’d had trees, they’d have built their homes out of wood, obviously) so they had to burn cow manure to keep warm and to cook with. Cow manure lies in the field saucer-shaped, and when it dries, it burns well (not speaking from experience, just what I read). They called them “cow pies” and the name still sticks today.

Years ago, before our rural home had electricity, I had a large wood-burning, cast iron cook stove. It had burners on the top and an oven below. It was cute as can be but I tired of going back and forth outside for kindling to keep the fire going and the black that got all over the pots and pans made it to my face and clothes. Pretty is as pretty does.

Imagine though, going back and forth outside to retrieve cow manure to cook and bake. Pretty gross. But people did what they had to do to make a new life for themselves and hey, who doesn’t have to take a little s*#t now and then to get ahead? The story coming out of the era is a bit more telling. At first, the women kept washing their hands after they handled the cow pies, but eventually, they quit being queasy about it and quit washing their hands. They’d pick up the cow pie, throw it into the fire and without washing their hands, go back to kneading their dough. Thank goodness the fire was hot and killed the funky microbes and parasite eggs that were surely embedded in the cow pies. Oh… the good old days.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Early American love story, Evaline’s Fiddle. Available here:  http://www.amazon.com/Evalines-Fiddle-Early-American-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00KCC48NQ

 

 

Last Summer, the Bees Took Over the Garden… I Let Them

It all started with the forget-me-not flowers that popped up in the middle of the garden. The bees loved it. Then I started noticing the weeds that bees liked and decided it best to leave them. And then any other weed that flowered that bees were drawn too, that stayed. By the end of the summer my garden was swarming with bees. I never once got stung. This summer, my plan is to be a little tougher and pull some of the bees’ favorite weeds. I’ve already started pulling. But because I have a soft spot for the bees (and understand their importance in pollination) I will be leaving the weeds that I remember attracted the most bees. I will also be careful to disturb the ground as little as possible because bees nest in the ground. I hope this summer I can reclaim a little of the territory that I let sprawl with flowering weeds but I can’t promise. I’ve grown to love the bees as much as the birds. There’s nothing like standing in the garden with the birds and the bees. Happy garden planning!

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031