Thursday, January 14, 2010

Homely Hints on Everything



My lovely Mum gave me two books yesterday. She knew I'd love them. Today's post is about Homely Hints on Everything. It was written by a beautiful old soul, Marjorie Bligh who lives in Devonport. Marjorie is 92.

The title of this book is extremely apt. It is 470 pages of tips on absolutely EVERYTHING! Some of them are funny and very old fashioned, others are really practical. Things like how to fix jam that went wrong, simple dessert ideas, how to stop brown sugar from going hard, how to make homemade yoghurt, how to clean the inside of your electric jug, how to pick up a dropped egg, how to replace a fuse, how to put out different types of fires, making your own skin care, the different properties of herbs, simple ailment and first aid hints..... The list goes on and on and on! While some of them are slightly outdated, the majority are common sense, simple and extremely helpful. I think the book is a gem!

On one of the pages, a great little poem has been shared -

I remember the cheese of my childhood
And the bread that we cut with a knife,
The children who helped with the housework
And the man who went to work, not the wife.
The cheese never needed an ice-chest,
The bread was crusty and hot,
The children always seemed happy,
And the wife was content with her lot.
I remember the milk from the billy
With the lovely rich cream on the top,
And the dinners straight from the oven
And not from the fridge in the shop.
The kids were a lot more contented,
They didn't need money for kicks,
But a game with their mates in the paddock,
And sometimes the Saturday 'flicks'.
I remember the shop on the corner
Where a penn'worth of lollies was sold.
Do you think I'm a bit too nostalgic?
Or is it because I just getting old?


If anyone is interested in getting a copy of this great little book, leave a comment and I will find out where Mum got it from.

3 comments:

  1. Okey doke, Jen! Will let you know how to get one. Stay tuned!

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  2. she still has articles published in Grass Roots. call them on 03 5792 4000 and they should be able to get in contact with her.

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