What It Was, When It Was, The Way It Was (Part 2)

Hello, here is another segment from this very old book I have come across. This will be the first segment from “What To-Do” And “How to Do It.” This segment will be fallowed with five more as time allow me to put this on my blog. I hope you enjoy the way they did things a century ago. There are words and phrases that we just don’t hear any more. The people especially the one living on the farm were very self sufficient and very independent in their daily living. If you get the urge to try some of these remedies, I strongly suggest caution and a little thought before you take action.


"WHAT TO-DO." AND "HOW TO DO IT."

Including Various Recipes of All Kinds.

" We have gathered a posie of other men's flowers And nothing but the thread which binds them is ours."

1. Blacksmith's Borax for Welding.—One ounce of salt, one ounce salt­peter, two ounces copper as, four pounds of sand; mix.
2. Washing Fluid.—One ounce of salts of tartar, one ounce of carbon­ate ammonia, one box Babbit's lye, one gallon' of soft water. Use one-half teacup to a washing.
3. Furniture Dressing.—Use equal parts of alcohol and raw linseed oil. First remove all greasy substances, then apply with a soft woolen cloth.
4. Washing Fluid.—One box of lye and five cents worth of borax, salts of tartar and dry ammonia. Dissolve in two gallons of hot water. Take off fire before putting in ammonia. To be used in boiling suds.
5. To Clean Carpets.—One cake ivory soap, one bottle ammonia, five cents worth of ether; dissolve soap in one gallon of hot water; when cool, add ammonia and ether. Scrub small space at a time with a brush and wipe dry with a soft cloth wrung out of warm water.
6. Wall Paper Cleaner.—One-half cup water, one cup flour, three teaspoonfuls vinegar, three teaspoonfuls ammonia, one teaspoonful carbon oil. Boil and stir constantly until thick; work in small balls, and rub paper with downward strokes. Will not streak or spot if made as directed. Fine.
7. Carpet Cleaner.—Two bars ivory soap, four ounces soda, four ounces borax; dissolve the soap in a quart of water; add five gallons of water and, when ready to use it, add four ounces of sulphuric ether; use while hot with scrubbing brush. You do not need to use any cloth or clean water. '
8. Carpet Cleaner.—Use five cents worth of salts of tartar to one bar of white wool or ivory soap; add this to three gallons of water. Shave the soap up fine and let it boil. Apply with brush and dry with dry cloth. This is fine.
9. To Destroy Odor of Burning Lamp Wicks.—Boil new lamp wicks in vinegar and then thoroughly dry them. There will then be no odor from them when burning.
10. To Remove Paint Stains from Cotton and Wool.—Old dry paint stains may be removed from cotton and woolen goods by first covering the spots with olive oil or butter and then applying chloroform.
11. To Preserve Eggs.—One quart of salt, one pint of slacked lime and three gallons of water. This liquid will keep eggs for years.
12. Ink Spots.—Oxalic acid will remove ink spots from books without injuring the print.
13. Rust.—Iron rust may be removed with kerosene oil.
14. To Purify Cistern Water.—Cistern water may be purified by hang­ing a bag of charcoal in the water.
15. A Tight Shoe.—Wring a cloth out of hot water and apply to the part that is tight. If necessary renew and keep shoe on until the leather is stretched.
16. Cleaning Plates Before Washing.—Tack a bag on the inside of the kitchen sink door and in it keep cloths to be used in cleaning plates, etc. before dish washing. Dip the cloth in water, rub on a little soap, then wipe, instead of scrape, the dishes. A great help in kitchen work.
17. To Clean Linoleum or Oil Cloth.—Instead of using soap and water, wash with sweet milk. The milk makes it look fresh and bright without destroying the luster.
18. To Clean Mud from Clothing.—Use a corn-cob to rub the mud from the clothing, then brush well.
19. To Kill Insects, Such as Bed Bugs, Moths, Etc.—Hot alum water is the best thing known to destroy insects. Boil alum in water until it is dissolved; then apply the hot solution with a brush to closets, bedsteads, cracks, or ./wherever insects are found. All creeping insects-may be destroyed by its use. There is no danger of poisoning and its persistent use will rid you of the pests.
20. To Remove the Smell of Onions from the Breath.—Parsley, eaten with vinegar, will destroy the unpleasant breath caused by eating onions.
21. To Clean and Keep Oil Cloth Nice.—Wash in clean, warm, soft water in which has been dissolved a large spoonful of borax. If hard water is used, more borax will be needed. '
22. To Mend Iron Vessels.—Mix finely some sifted lime with the white of an egg till a thin paste is formed, then add some iron filings. 'Apply this to the fracture and the vessel will be found nearly as sound as ever.
23. To Clean Lamp Chimneys.—Hold chimney over the steam coming from a boiling kettle, then wipe it inside and outside with a soft muslin cloth.
24. An Excellent Furniture Polish.—Use equal parts of vinegar, tur­pentine and sweet oil. The bottle should be well shaken each time before using. Wet a cloth and rub well over the furniture, then wipe with)' a soft dry cloth.
25. To Remove Tan.—Wash with a solution of lemon juice and car­bonate of soda; follow with the juice of unripe grapes if they may be had; if not, with " Fuller's Earth Water."
26. To Remove Wrinkles.—Melt and stir together one ounce of white wax, two ounces of strained honey and two ounces of the juice of lily bulbs; apply to the face every night and it is said your wrinkles will disappear.
27. To Remove Coffee Stains.—The yolk of an egg mixed with a little water will remove coffee stains. Glycerine will do the same. Rub out before washing.
28. To Remove Ink from Linen.—Dip the stained parts in pure melted tallow, then wash in water. ;
29. To Remove Grease from Woolen Goods.—Do not put either hot or cold water upon woolens that have had grease spilled upon them. Sprinkle the parts with either buckwheat or rye flour and let it absorb the grease; then brush off the flour and apply more, so continuing until all the grease has been absorbed. Cornstarch is equally effective when used upon cloth in the same manner.
30. To Exterminate Roaches.—With a machine oil-can squirt kerosene oil into' cracks and seams behind woodwork, then sprinkle powdered borax over the shelves and blow it into the cracks with a powder blower.
31. To Keep Steel Knives from Rusting.—Dip the knives in a strong solution of soda, four parts of soda to one of water; then wipe dry, roll in flannel and keep in a dry place.
32. Washing Blankets.—When washing blankets make a lather of boiled soap and warm water and for each pail full and a half of water allow a tea-spoonful of household ammonia. Wash in two or three waters, put through the wringer and hang out to dry. Choose a fine windy day so the blankets will dry quickly.
33. To Exterminate Bed Bugs.—Use kerosene oil freely wherever the bugs are found.
34. Cement for Glass and Iron.—Alum melted in an iron spoon over the fire makes a good cement for joining glass and iron. It is useful for cementing the glass part of a lamp to its metal base and stopping cracks about the base, as paraffine will not penetrate it.
35. To Dry Boots.—Fill wet boots with dry oats and set aside for a few hours. The oats will draw the moisture from the boots and, swelling out, will keep the leather from- shrinking and hardening as it would do if placed near the fire to dry.
36. To Remove Kerosene.—Cover the spot with cornmeal; lay a paper over it and rub with a moderately heated iron. Two or three applications will remove the kerosene. Finely powdered chalk may be used instead of the cornmeal if desired.
37. To Remove Fruit Stains.—Fruit stains may be removed from table linen by pouring boiling water through the cloth where it is stained.
38. Furniture Polish.—A fine furniture polish may be made by taking equal parts of vinegar and salad oil. Apply sparingly with a flannel and polish off thoroughly with clean cloths. Don't forget to mix lots of " elbow grease " with this.
39. To Clean Glass.—Dampen a cloth with either alcohol or ammonia, then dip it into some finely-sifted wood ashes and polish the glass. Wipe off with a perfectly dry cloth.
40. To Clean a. Glass Decanter.—Put into it a spoonful of vinegar arid a few lumps of soda. Shake it well but leave the top open or it may burst the decanter. Rinse with cold water.
41. To Remove Panes of Glass.—Lay soft soap over the putty for a few hours and it will become soft so that it may be easily scraped away no matter how hard it may previously have been.
42. To Clean Light Gloves.—Light gloves may be cleaned by rubbing them with fine bread crumbs. It is best to rub them after each wearing so that they do not become badly soiled.
43. To Clean Kid Gloves.—If not too badly soiled, kid gloves may be cleaned by rubbing them with a piece of oiled silk wound about the finger.
44. Gnats.—Camphor is the best preventive and cure for the stings of gnats.
45. To Remove Grass Stains.—Rub the stains with spirits of wine and they will readily come out when washed in soap and water.
46. To Remove Grease.—Take equal parts of benzine, ether and al­cohol ; wet a sponge in the mixture and apply by patting the spot; put a piece of blotting paper on each side and iron with a hot flatiron.
47. To Remove Grease from Floor.—Soda and hot water will remove grease from the floor.
48. To Remove Ink Stains.—If ink is spilled upon a carpet, table­cloth or dress it is best to take up as much of the ink as possible with blotting paper, or salt is also good to absorb it. Then wash the parts thoroughly with milk several times Until all the ink is removed. It is then well to wash out the parts with ammonia water to remove grease. If the spots are dry, rub a piece of lemon on some salt and then upon the stain. Oxalic acid and salts of lemon are both good also.
49. To Clean Lamp Chimneys.—Rub them with a piece of newspaper upon which a little kerosene has been poured. This is better than soap and the chimney will not be so likely to crack.
50. To Wash Flannels.—Put borax in the water and the flannels will look like new and will not shrink.
51. Ironing.—A little table salt added to the starch helps in the ironing.
52. To Prevent Scorching when Ironing.—Rub the iron on a cloth satu­rated with kerosene.
53. To Remove Stains from Clothing.—Rub the stained parts with lard before washing. With washable goods, the yolk of an egg rubbed upon the stains before laundering will remove the spots.
54. To Wash Black Stockings.—Black stockings will retain their color if washed in warm suds of water and soap, with a little vinegar in the rinse.
55. To Polish Patent Leather.—Orange juice will be found to be a good polish for patent leather.


That’s it for now, but keeps checking back for more postings from this book. I hope you have had a good read and are better for it.

All is well down on the farm,

The Old Farmer

What It Was, When It Was, The Way It Was

I have been writing lately about how it use to be down on the farm. Well now I have come across a very old book that has three sections in it on, animal health, people health and housekeeping and cooking. I thought I would put segments on my blog. I hope it will be entertaining. This book was published in the year of 1910. It is two years short of being one hundred years old. I must stress again that this material is for entertainment and learning of a by gone era. If you decide to try some of this stuff, you do it at your own risk. So if you whip something up to put on your hair to make it grow and it turns blue, don’t come crying to me about it.
Just read and enjoy yourself.

The Old Farmer.


THE HOUSEKEEPER'S SCIENCE OF COOKING
OR
DOMESTIC SCIENCE IN THE HOME.
“Good cooking means the knowledge of all fruits, herbs, balms and spices, and all that is healing and sweet in fields and groves, and savory in meats. It means carefulness, inven­tiveness, watchfulness, willingness and readiness of appliances. It means the economy of your great-grandmothers and the science of modern chemists."—Ruskin.

THE HOUSEKEEPER'S CREED.
I believe housekeeping and cooking is and should be interesting and worthy work and that the majority of women would enjoy it if they had the opportunity to know more of its science; that it must be considered elevating —the highest art—and not a menial and brainless occupation. If a man is not ashamed of his profession or work, there is no reason why a woman should be ashamed of hers.
I believe before marriage every woman should show to the man she is to marry that she thoroughly understands the work of making and keeping the home on a perfectly systematic and business basis, as much as the man has shown her that he has a profession or business capable of providing the income for the maintenance of home and family.
I believe that marriage is a life partnership with mutual interests as well as love; a partnership of square dealing and equally shared responsibilities, and should not be entered into from any other motive.
It is reasonable to suppose that the young woman should be able and willing to keep house as conscientiously as she has taught school or music or used the typewriter.
Can you use the salary of the young man wisely, economically and so that each of you may live comfortably, besides saving a little for the proverbial "rainy day?" This question should be answered before marriage.
I believe home making, housekeeping and all that goes with it is not drudgery, is not a narrow sphere for the woman, but that it is the very high­est type of living.

" He who gives us better homes, better books, better tools—a fairer outlook and wider hope—him will we crown with laurel."—Emerson.

WHAT CONSTITUTES HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT?
Not many years ago everything made to meet the needs of the people was created in the home. Now, as different shops and factories have taken most of the productions and developed them into large and flourishing industries and manufactories, there are two problems always to face, and these are-production and consumption. It is interesting to watch the wonderful strides of today in producing wealth, but it is of at least equal importance how this money is spent; and the home is the center for the consumption of this wealth. It has been said by students of Home Economics that the greatest financial losses come through the home. If this be true, then women should begin to have a better understanding of the practice of economy in the home. First, they should help and encourage in every way to increase the income; and second, to lessen the expenditures. It is not always what we earn, but how that is spent that insures the best economy and results in perfect, or nearly perfect, household management. At the present time the difficulty with the housekeeper is not so much that she has lack of income, as that she does not always spend wisely.
Women are almost having their first real awakening to the fact that they must acquire more knowledge and skill to do the work in the home success­fully and thus live better and have greater enjoyment and prosperity.
Home-making is, or should be, a business. The home has close business relations with the grocer, butcher, merchant, bank and in fact the business world in general and only business-like methods can succeed.
Begin early in life with your daughters' and train them in systematic household management and home-making and there will be fewer financial failures in the business world.

HOUSEKEEPING A PROFESSION.
Housekeeping has passed the days of mere drudgery and now ranks among the professions.
There is much thought exercised by the well trained and thoughtful house­wife who plans and directs and knows herself how to do any of the work in the home.
We know this work takes more brains than dollars, and education and training are necessary for the woman who selects the food, clothing and all the works of art for the uplifting and growth of a well-balanced family, mentally, morally and physically. She should be trained in the estimation of values, in food, clothing and household furnishings.
She should have had practice in the various duties of a home before mar­riage. Otherwise the expense comes at the wrong time, which is unjust to the man. Mrs. Ellen H. Richards says, “By teaching the girl under fourteen how to cook, she will do it naturally and easily when she is a housewife." If women knew how to do this work well, it would cease to be a drudgery.
A good business man has to know his business thoroughly and apply to it ordinary business principles and systematic methods in order to succeed. The same is true of housekeeping.

HOME EXPENDITURES AND ACCURATE RECORDS.
“An economical household, not a stingy one, makes a successful and contented home." —Freeman.
“In olden times women thought arid thought before they spent, often making the spending a burden. Now women often spend and then think and think and think." There should be some happy medium.
If we have studied pure foods, good taste in dressing and the same in furnishings for the home, we have made great advance in the lessening of home expenditures. Accurate accounts should be kept of the allowance for such use and what it is spent for. There are many ways of doing this but one of the simplest is a card index system on which the expenditures for the day, not itemized, but headings, may be quickly noted and footed up at the end of the week. This is absolutely necessary for system and economy in the home.
It is true, that all the members of the family must unite in this if it is successful. They must all agree upon a universal or given standard of living. It is better to divide the income to cover the necessary expenditures and then try to live within it. The, figures must be before you or you will find waste and more waste. One housekeeper recently said to me in trying my Expense Cards, " I found I was not losing on my regular expenditures, such as gro­ceries, etc., but my ' miscellaneous' was appalling." Twenty-five cents today and another tomorrow seems very little but for a month or year it means much loss.

ORGANIZATION AND DIVISION OP LABOR.
It is very easy for most of us to imagine the home where no system or organization exists.—There is no order; things are placed here today and there tomorrow and valuable time is spent in searching for articles which have no settled resting' place. This kind of living, or staying, more properly speak­ing, reacts upon every member of the household. The work is much harder and costs infinitely more in time, strength and money than a definite and well regulated home would cost. “It is not the revolution that wears out the machinery, it is the friction," and nowhere is this so true as in the home. If the housewife has had no training or experience her troubles are legion. It is first in knowing how and what to do, the proper division of this labor, and when it is to be done. It makes very little difference whether it is the woman with no servants or one with several. It is now conceded by every thinking individual that the housewife must not only know how the work is to be done; but must be able to plan, systematize and direct the same.
Applying this knowledge every day, one need not carry the kitchen or three meals a day “on their shoulders “from morning until night, but have regular hours for definite and systematic work, recreation or study. It is very easy to direct “Mary " to do the washing, bake a cake and have company for dinner, and it is quite another thing to know the necessary time required to do these things.
System is the keynote of the home. Each day's work should be planned in advance; in fact, a written or printed plan of work should be in every kitchen. Then a written menu of the meals. These may be written on cards, one for each day of the week, and indexed under the card index system so uni­versal now. On the opposite page may be references showing where recipes for certain dishes may be found, or any other notes. The grocery order should be made out and the refrigerator consulted at the same time. “Woman’s work," it is said,” is never done." It has been largely her own fault. Plan, systematize, and pigeon-hole your work; in other words, get rid of it, which will be a wonderful care-remover.
Woman's life, as a rule, is made up of little things. This is particularly true in the spending of small sums of money; five cents here and there, then a dime, quarters and dollars until in this small spending they do not realize that “tremendous whole."
I repeat, housekeeping is a profession and it is the careful watching of just the right time to buy, and what to buy, that constitutes good household management. Much depends on the manner or style of living whether you should buy in large or small quantities. Find the happy medium between the hand to mouth style of living and the buying in too large quantities, which may mean waste. Marketing is an art. We had better say to market well is an art. Buy foods in season as nearly as possible. If you can only purchase a little, buy that which is good and use every bit of it. It is the little wastes that fill the garbage can.

A WELL EQUIPPED KITCHEN AND THE UTENSILS.

“The best is the cheapest" is a good rule to follow. In many homes the surprise is that the meal can be prepared with the meager kitchen equipment provided. Be proud of your kitchen and utensils but take care of them. The very best of utensils may soon be useless if placed over too hot fires, especially gas. On the other hand a medium priced article in the hands of a skilled worker may outwear the very best utensil in the hands of a careless one.
• Many accessories in the kitchen have come to be looked upon as “must haves “through long use. The evidence of utility in everything, together with good taste and judgment in every selection, are the great essentials in buying kitchen as well as other utensils.
Fireless Cookers and Steam Cookers are doing much to overcome this, as in either of these methods of cooking neither food nor utensils can be burned. Do not buy every new thing that comes out. Find out whether it is of prac­tical use, then buy it and use it. Too many articles and in inconvenient places are as bad as not enough. Have a convenient drawer or hook for utensils and always have them in that place and no other.
The Fireless and Steam Cookers and Bread Mixers are among some of the kitchen utensils that have come to stay and it is the intelligent, thinking, up-to-date housekeeper that is looking for the practical, helpful and attractive equipment for her kitchen.


KITCHEN UTENSILS
Range
Refrigerator
Steam Cooker
Fireless Cooker
Tea kettle
3 stew pans, 1 qt. to 3 qts.
Steel spider, 9
Double boiler, 2 qt.
Steel frying pan, 7
Toaster
Frying basket
Spatula
Muffin pan
Colander
Coffee pot
Tea pot
Food chopper
Chopping knife and bowl
Strainers
Bread mixer
Bread pans, 2 or more
Bread board
Rolling pin
Flour sieve
Pans or Basins, 2 or more
Bowls, about 5 in assorted sizes
Dish pan
Drainer
Floor and stove brushes
Broom
Steel knives and forks, 3
French vegetable knife
Vegetable brush
Cream whip
Egg beaters, Dover and flat wire
beater
Covered roaster
Cake pans, layer, 2
Meat and bread knives
Loaf pan, square, oblong or oval Sponge cake pan
Sink strainer
Scales
Soap shaker
Potato and vegetable press Salt box
Grater
Measuring cups, 1 tin and 1 glass Lemon squeezer, glass
Pie plates, 2 or more
Skewers
Skimmer
Table spoons, 3
Tea spoons, 3
Measuring spoon
Bread box
Funnel
Vegetable and pudding dishes, 2 Potato masher, wood
Garbage pail
Waste basket, closely woven
Receptacles for flour, sugar, cereals, con-­diments, molasses, etc.
Kitchen cabinet or table
Chair
High stool
Slotted wooden spoon Wooden spoon, small size Casserole
Custard cups
Tin mold
Coffee mill
Clothes' hamper
Carpet sweeper
Mrs. Kirk's Card Index Cooking Recipes Mrs. Kirk's Housekeeping Expense Cards


Well that's it for this time, but keep an eye on my blog for more segments of this book.

All is well down on the farm.

The Old Farmer

Neighboring, The Farmers Way of Life

A good neighbor is like sunshine and rain drops, they are essential for a happy life.

I remember back when I was growing up on the farm. Life was a lot different than it is now. One thing I remember is how much importance we put on neighbors. The spirit of neighboring back and forth seemed to be the anchor of the community. It seemed like we did every thing together, sharing the work, meals, fun time, church time, the good, bad, and ugly. If you got hurt and your work wasn't done, the neighbors would show up and get it done. They were like an extended family that cared very deeply for each other but couldn't say it. They always showed how mush they cared by deeds done.

I read a story a good many years ago that has stayed with me. It was an interview done by a couple of teens asking questions to a very elderly widow lady. She had moved away from her home that she lived in most of her life and was living in an apartment. The teens asked her many questions, but what stuck with me was when they asked her what her neighbors were like. She said she had wonderful neighbors. If she needed help or anything, all she had to do was just ask. Then they asked her how neighbors today compared to neighbors in the old days. She said in the old days you didn't have to ask.

You didn't have to ask. That sums up what neighbors were all about. You didn't need to worry about disasters when you were blessed with good neighbors.

Today the main theme is you don't trust any one, especially your neighbors. City folk bar and lock them selves in so tight that if a fire breaks out they have trouble getting out them selves. There seems to be a run on security systems and any thing with the word guard in it. We seem to have become paranoid and distrusting of most everyone. All worried about what's over on the other side of the fence. And to a point I guess these fears are well founded. But and that's a big but, good neighbors can and would be ready to help and protect each other if we could trust and enjoy warm relationships with one and another again. The bad guys can't stand up to good neighbors when they stand arm in arm. There is an old saying that goes, "together we stand, divided we fall".

It would be great to turn back the clock and have neighborhoods like the old days, maybe they will happen, and maybe they are. Just maybe we need each other a lot more that we have ever realized. Just maybe our survival may well depend on being a good neighbor and friend.

All is well down on the farm. Old Farmer

Technology And The Old Farmer

 When I was young on the farm, I started driving horses to do the field work. As things changed so did the equipment we used. From horses to tractors and so on. But as I think about my last encounter with new technology (feedburner.com). I am amazed at what you can do on the internet. We have a farm website http://www.clineandsonsfarm.com that has links to a bunch of e-books, some I have written. We have a photo gallary that has over (500) pictures in it. There is even a link to our founding documents and quotes from our founding fathers. This is a long way from those horses I was telling you about.

 

In the old days you mostly worked alone. We always had good neighbors, but they too were busy working their farms. You generally saw your neighbors at church on Sundays or at prayer meetings. Sometimes you would get together for weddings, birthdays, funerals, or doing very large projects that required every hand to pitch in. They were times to share your thoughts and ideas with them. And to see what was happening in the area. BUT NOW, I am writing on my computer in my e-mail program that will be sent to my blog site and published automatically. It also will be syndicated to who know were. The first telephone I saw was hanging on a wall and you had to crank it up to get it to work. And now, WOW!

 

It is a great time to be alive. All is well down on the farm.

 

The Old Farmer

 

When Good Cooks Get Together

I can remember when I was young on the farm, the neighbors getting together to work and to eat. I can remember the tables piled high with about every thing you could imagine to eat. Boy oh boy could those women cook. That is what I remember best, the food. Each of the ladies had a special recipe that they took pride in preparing. We would eat huge amounts of food, but we also worked it off too. You seldom ever saw a fat farmer.

We have come across a large collection of cook books in PDF format. We have put them together in four bundles. We have a pitch page with a good selection of e-books to look over. If you would like to read more about it, here's the link, http://www.clineandsonsfarm.com/hopelink.html. There is also a cook book for diabetics and good recipes to help them. We also have some cook books for valentines day, and Christmas. Our farm site is a great starting point to check out these offerings. Simply go to, http://www.clineandsonsfarm.com.

All is well down on the farm.

Old Farmer

Old Farmer's Book of Poetry

Well I've gone off and done it now. I have put together the poems and ballads I have written over the years into an ebook. I have always liked writing poetry. I wrote my first one when I was twelve years old. My oh my, where has the years gone by to. Our farm site, http://www.clineandsonsfarm.com hosts the links to our pitch page for this ebook of poetry and ballads. I call the ebook, Through The Eyes of The Old Farmer His Poems And Ballads. You can go directly to the pitch page for more information, the link is, http://www.clineandsonsfarm.com/poems7.html.

There are times when the human heart cries out to be heard and then there are times when silence is the order of the day. My writing seem to run the emotional roller coaster. It all depends on the mood and again the heart.

In this ebook I wrote a ballad called The Ballad of Carl And Ab And the Chicken Accelerator. If I am allowed to say so myself, it's pretty funny, I was in stitches while I was writing it.

The ebook is filled mostly with serious writings. I say filled, there are twenty-four poems and ballads in it. More about the ebook and my writings later, I got to go to bed, morning comes early in the country. All is well down on the farm.

The Truth Will Set You Free

In the history of America when there has been hard times and events that seem to move us to the very brink of catastrophe. There has always arisen great men. Men with high moral outlook and virtuous in thought and deed. Men who live a sacrificial life style and have a passion for others. Men who would never think of taking advantage of others or use their power for self gain. Men who inspire the people to great sacrifice, truth and put the common good ahead of them selves. Where are the Washington's, the Adam's, the Henry's, and the Lincoln's? Where are the Godly men?

When the God of men produces and raises Godly men, does he need to have a fertile heart in man to work with first? Does He need to see a pure heart, full of truth, virtue, morality, honor, love and a desire to live peaceably with all men? As we scan the horizon in America, do we see any? Are all the virtuous men keeping their heads down for fear of losing them?

Most great men of the past have one thing in common with each other, they had Godly women at their side, not ahead of them, not behind them, but at their side to help strengthen them. We need to rediscover what it means to be an American and embrace it with all our strength, men and women. We need to rediscover the principles that made us a great God fearing nation and be renewed by them. For we can draw on who we were and become better for it. We need to rediscover each other and get in step with what is right and good. These words from The Declaration of Independence, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor, are more than just words, they are a promise to one another of an ideal that can nurture one another to great and Godly accomplishments. They are the essence of America's strength. Our founding fathers realized that those words of that document were truth, and the truth will set you free.

All is well down on the farm.