Home Made

Dear Mothers,

Good Morning. I have enjoyed Mz Violet's writings. I know you all do, too. She writes so nice and quiet. And me ... oh, Lord Jesus, come quickly! It's all too much for even me and I write it. Yesterday, when I wrote all of that, I was playing with Olivia, 4 years old, and taking care of 6-week-old Olivia Rose. But I am sure the way it read, you probably thought I was chopping meat or something. I vowed today that I am going to write nice and quiet. That's a tall order for a lion tamer.

When I was a little girl, I loved my dolls. And this is where the homemaking spirit was first established in my life. I even told my mother once that I thought my one doll could breath. I had many baby dolls and, also, I had many what we called Story Book Dolls. These were little lady dolls and were not to play with. These dolls were just to look at. And my Aunt Lilly would crochet beautiful long dresses and smart hats for these dolls and matching purses, crocheted around a penny for the bottom of the purse.

Ya know, in the old days, the Mothers sewed all their families' clothes. And when a garment would get a hole in it, the holes were patched.

I am up early this morning. It's not quite so cold today here in Iowa. I have the kerosene burner on to take the chill off the house.

Wow, it is actually cold this morning. We were in that horrid heat spell for so long and nearly roasted. And now, as I stand here, I am in some warm sweat pants and a long sleeved sweater. I am actually cold. I bet it got to almost 40 last night and, before that, it was days in over 90 degree heat. What a change in the weather!

I have had a craft idea I dreamed up and I want to try here soon. Ya know, right now the pumpkins in our area are dirt cheap. Jim got me two the other day for a buck apiece. So I just want to have fun with them and let my imagination run wild. I love the smell of pumpkin and I haven't been able to buy any reasonably priced pumpkin scented candles, so this is what I may do today or at least I will, for sure, tomorrow.

Papa just went to work and I am left here to my own devices. We have had so much rain... much more than we have needed. Anyway, all the rain makes the flowers bloom and the grass to grow like crazy.

I had this big, dark green candle. I didn't really like it, so I melted it down for the wax, making sure I kept the candle part with the wick in the center whole. So it went from a fat candle to a skinny one. I made one candle by putting it in a quart jar. The other half, I put in a little round enamel pan red and white ... it is a really old pan ... chipped ... I had gotten it at a garage sale. It's probably 1930s?

I was kind of a flower child in the 1970s and yesterday, I found the neatest hippy dress at a garage sale. It was way too small for me now -- it's like a size 8 or 9 -- but I bought it, anyway. I love it. I am going to make a flower child hippy long granny apron out of it. I cant wait! I will just cut it up the back and open it up and cut the sleeves off. I will make a full apron with a bib out of it.

If the Dollar Store doesn't thrill you as a homemaker, what would? There is so much stuff there to make a home with. I love it! And, ya know, you can buy canning jars there for pretty cheap, and the lids and rings to match.