Things You Learn.

 Things You Learn.

 

Reading has always been pretty educational, but even the silly cozy mysteries consumed around here lately have proven to be somewhat enlightening. The old woman has never been all that interested in antiques, but apparently some of the things we have seen over the years were actually of some value. Doorknobs have value, and even the striker plates for the fasteners can have value if they are made by artisans who created them as artwork. Who knew such things existed?

 

Another strange thing that came up recently is the existence of a stockpile of ancient seeds that could save mankind if all the current vegetables and seed-bearing grains were destroyed by blight or a fungus the way the American chestnut trees were destroyed. We can’t buy any “antique” seeds from the current markets where the little envelopes containing sixteen seeds are sold. And some seeds are still sold that have never changed all that much—okra, for instance. Think the smooth kind of okra is a new development, but the old-fashioned kind of okra has ridges. It is really unlikely that much of mankind could be rescued from starvation with okra, however. The American Indians used beans, squash, and corn planted together to help the development of their crops. Those were called “the three sisters.” The beans helped place nitrogen in the ground for the corn, and the squash helped hold the corn in place. Apparently, the Indians lived well enough with those three plants. Beans are definitely something one could use to sustain life. Corn, well, if it is ground into flour and made into bread, it can certainly help a person to eat well, but many of the early settlers died from lack of vitamins and poor health because ALL they had was corn!

 

My little squash plants have so far escaped the notice of the doggone raggits that are hopping about in the neighborhood. Those critters get right in the front yard and eat the grass or whatever. One got in the yard early this morning and had two very disgusted dogs chasing it. Not a chance to catch it when it had that much of a head start. Oh well.

 

Saving eggs for one more week for Jennifer, Lance, and whoever they share eggs with. Lance said they definitely needed eggs again. But then, he was telling me that his oldest was making soup for supper tonight that contained mushrooms and—get this—some onions! Lance refuses to have onions in his house. He thinks my use of onions in nearly every meal was the catalyst for his feelings about onions. Silly kid.

 

Got outside early this morning with a hammer and crowbar with the intentions of breaking up the pallets into useable boards. Well, so much for that intention. Dear Hearts, those things are really put together! Could not even get a bite into the wood next to the boards where they connected. Thought about using the skill saw to cut them apart, but not too keen on that thought. Lance told me that they sometimes use these nails that look like screws to hold them together. Guess that makes sense. Anyway, just set them up next to the fence so that they would be out of the way when the mowers come on Tuesday. Going to have the east lot mowed down fairly short. It may not have the seeds for the grass, but the flowers have definitely gone to seed.

 

Max B. brought my book on Daniel back today, so may begin to read it again and look up all the scriptures this time. Have noticed more and more that some folks on FB are quoting scriptures. One person put John 3:16 on there and mentioned that it was the first scripture that she memorized as a child. Think that was one that all of us kids memorized as little ones in the Baptist church. We never did hear the chapter and verse for Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Just looked it up: Matt 7:12 and Luke 6:31 are both examples of the “Golden Rule.”

 

Maybe we need to do more memorization today than we have been doing. Or maybe, at least for adults, we simply need to pick up our Bibles and read more. It would never hurt to have some things like the Ten Commandments written out to look at daily, not for decoration, but for contemplation.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.