Depression-era color photos

I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. They are the oldest pictures in color that I have ever seen. If you are a history buff or if you are just really old, you might enjoy having a look. They are from the 1930's (depression-era) just after color film had been introduced. It cost half a week's wages to buy just one roll of this new film back then, according to this webpage.

It's that time of year again - colds and flu

Last winter a high percentage of children's cold medicines were taken off the market or restricted for use only in older children. Here's an article on garlic which tells a few of the things I try when I or my children have a cold before I resort to cold medicines: "Garlic, Again". We also take some immune booster, which I make with this herb mix and vodka. I steep the herbs in the vodka for several weeks, strain it, then it's ready to go. For children, I add boiling water to evaporate the alcohol then add some raw honey. Add a little lemon juice to that mix for coughs. This is best when we can catch a virus right when it first starts to make itself known. The moment we start to feel like we're coming down with "something". After you've been sick already for a day or two it is not quite so effective.

And here's the best recipe for avoiding seasonal colds and flu:
1. No sugar
2. Raw milk
3. Cod liver oil

Based on my experience, this works. "No sugar" is easier said than done I know, but it's really worth the trouble if you can manage it. A little raw honey or pure maple syrup now and then doesn't seem to hurt, though. Best wishes for a healthful winter! And happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Snippets from my life

My husband and I took the family to see Wall-E last weekend. We're a little late, considering it's been out since about what, June? But that's just par for the course for us. It is a great movie. I really thought it was well-done. But ouch. Quite a slam against consumerism. It calls to mind Dana Carvey as George Bush the First on Saturday Night Live in the early 90's when the nation hit an economic downturn. He told us we should "continue to do what Americans do best. We consume." Then he proceeded to turn the broadcast into The Shopping Show. I have read movie reviews that say that Wall-E is anti-conservative and environmentalist, but I saw it as simply anti-consumerist, which is about as conservative as you can get, so I don't know what those reviewers were thinking.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you know that turkeys can roost really really high? Now that the weather has turned cold, I put my beloved red bourban turkeys in the pole barn for some shelter. At night, they are roosting in the rafters - a good 15-20 feet off the ground. A skunk got one of them a couple of weeks ago and had it for supper. At least, I think it was a skunk. Or it could have been a fox (saw one a couple nights ago), and the skunk was just scavenging.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

In related news, my birthday was a couple weeks ago. My husband is so thoughtful, he took me skunk hunting on my birthday. He always knows just what I want. I can't tell you how that turned out or he'll get mad at me. Just wanted to let you know how wonderful he is.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I could smell a mutiny brewing, so you should know I am no longer the family carb Nazi. When the husband begs for hamburger buns and the kids ask for lasagna with garlic bread for their birthdays, that is when you know surrender is near. No more carb Nazi. Now I'm the egg Nazi.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

So I've started making buttermilk biscuits for them. They seem to really like that. Don't tell anyone, but the secret ingredient is lard. I've made biscuits before, and they always turned out truly awful. Now that I use lard, they are great! It's also good to fry potatoes in. I've heard it's super in pie crusts, but I haven't tried that yet. (Sorry for the commercial.) Lard is probably only bad for your health because you're having a heart attack right now reading about me liking lard. But our family is doing just fine. We're not dead (yet). My kids aren't any fatter or sassier than they were before. They still literally climb the walls and break my eardrums when saying "goodbye" to guests driving out the driveway. No changes there.

A great link

I love "this".

This is a classic

Since I figured out that widget thing (whatever it is), here's another one of my favorite songs.

A Cryptic Post

To the person I'm posting this for: you know who you are. To everyone else: have fun speculating exactly what this post is supposed to mean.

Can we "keep our republic"?

More political commentary here...

Just as a sidenote, I know my political thoughts may be stressful to some who might disagree, but I know what I think is not "mainstream", so feel free to disagree. I'm not writing to compel people to agree with me. So, whatever. I'm just saying. So don't get mad at me, ok?

I told you so. I mentioned earlier in the year that if we elected a dud in the primary, the Republicans would be toast. Not that I denigrate John McCain's honourable service to his country, but he is really not a political maverick. He's not conservative, and his economic solutions are more of what got us into this mess in the first place. I'm not upset he lost. I am disappointed to be getting a socialist president (not to mention one who doesn't seem to think babies are all that important) but maybe this will be the kick in the pants that Republicans need to get their act together.

Now let me tell you what I really think. The political system in this country is destined to slide into tyranny as things stand today. We would be much better off with the same system our Founding Fathers first conceived, but since we are no longer a people whose lives are based on absolute truth and morality, our government based on the Constitution can't last. Here are a few quotes I found from John Adams:

"The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

It's disappointing that our liberties are disappearing. But let's keep reminding each other that this world is not our permanent home, and God is still in control. He is the One who holds the sparrow, and He will certainly take care of His people. I'll remind you, and you remind me, ok?