Dandelion Wine is a book by Ray Bradbury, an American author chiefly known for his science fiction stories such as Fahrenheit 451. It's one of the favourite books of my mother, but I only managed to read it yesterday.
What is this book about? On the surface, it's a story about the summer of the year 1928 in a small American town, seen through the eyes of a boy of 12 called Douglas. It starts with the first day of the school vacation and ends with the town department store displaying the items for a new school year. Summer is over, but every day the boy's Grandpa was plucking dandelions and making wine to drink during the long winter months and to remember the long summer days and what happened on each of them.
Yet, the book is about much more than just adventures of a boy. It's a book about childhood we all left somewhere behind us, about growing older and eventually dying and about things which matter the most in the world. In the beginning of the story, Douglas and his brother Tom are taken to the forest by their father and Douglas suddenly realises that he is alive and that life is a wonderful thing. By the end of summer, he also realises that everything in this world is fleeting and that one day, he will die, too.
The author tells us the stories of life of several inhabitants of the town. There is a jeweller Leo Auffmann, who builds a happiness machine, which by the description of it very much reminds modern television. It shows the one who uses it beautiful far-away places such as Paris but instead of making people happy, it makes them cry as they understand there is little chance for them ever visiting those places. Leo seeks for happiness far away but finally finds it in his own home, just watching his wife and six children.
There is a widow of 72 who spent her whole life collecting things which would tie her to her past experiences and yet the neighbourhood children won't even believe she was ever a young girl and a rightful owner of those things. In the end, she gives most of her stuff away and burns the rest.
There is an old maid of 95 who meets a young journalist of 32 and tells him about her life and travelling to exotic countries and realises only too late the blessings of settling down and starting a family which she never valued when she was young as she was by her own description, a wild thing. Though she is old on the outside, her soul is still young, she compares herself to an old dragon devouring a beautiful swan, but the young man answers, that when she talks, he still can catch the glimpse of the swan.
The lady dies soon after, but expresses hope that her soul will be reborn again in a new body, and once, may be around the year of 1985 or 1990, they will meet each other again and have a chance at happiness.
There is also an old colonel telling boys the stories of the Civil War, though he forgot on which side he had fought. The boys call him a Time Machine and feel that with his death many other people whom he had known or met during his life, are dead, too. There is a story of a neighbourhood witch who repents of her wicked ways and a maniac murdering women who finally gets his comeuppance and many more other things.
In the end of summer, the old Great-grandma dies, too. She spent her whole life caring for her family, cooking and cleaning and canning and doing home repairs, but finally she gets tired of doing the same thing every day and says that it's time to go. She explains to Douglas and his brother, that her family are all part of her, and as she goes, only part of her really dies, while all her children and grandchildren stay behind to carry on, but for Douglas it's still a shocking experience as he thought that Great-grandma was something constant, something which never could go away.
During that summer he also loses his best friend whose family moves to another town. In the end, the summer heat gets him and he becomes sick but lives through it, partly due to the mysterious travelling junk seller and then, the summer is suddenly gone, but they still have the wine, a bottle for each long hot summer day, to drink and to throw the empty bottle away as old clutter and so to prepare for the new summer. More people will die and more babies will be born and the life will go on as usual.
The book is hauntingly beautiful and also hauntingly sad, but it's a good thing as we get older to read it and to remember our own childhood.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
King's Day
Today the Netherlands celebrated the King's Day for the first time:
(The video is from the last year's coronation ceremony).
(The video is from the last year's coronation ceremony).
Friday, April 25, 2014
Proverbs 31 Feminist Woman
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies...
I have come to the conclusion that Proverbs 31 is the most feminist chapter of the Bible. Whenever an attempt is made to defend traditional family roles for men and women, somebody somewhere is bound to produce it as the ultimate proof that it's OK for a Christian woman to have a career. Because the Proverbs 31 woman buys a field and makes fine linen and sells it and delivers girdles to the merchants. This is the argument in a nutshell.
I have noticed that for feminists it's always about money. Proverbs 31 woman did a lot of things. For instance, she made herself clothes (coverings of tapestry), but feminists don't run to their husbands demanding that the husbands buy them sewing machines. They don't use the chapter as the proof that a lady should make her own clothes or learn how to spin, or work in the garden the whole day.
Proverbs 31 woman was obviously a wealthy woman. She had servants (gave a portion to her maidens). Yet I have never heard this chapter used as a proof that every married woman should be able to hire domestic help. By some reason, only the money-related activities described in Proverbs 31 attract so much attention. Let's look at them more closely.
So Proverbs 31 lady considereth a field and buyeth it. How does it make her a career woman? Did she do real estate? Was she in a habit of buying fields? How often did she do it? How big exactly was this field? May be, it was just a small piece of land. May be, it was normal for women of her social class to make such purchases, just as nowadays women will often buy new furniture for their household and the like. I fail to see what buying a field has to do with working outside home (the fact that she planted a vineyard doesn't prove it, either, otherwise every housewife with a garden should be called a career woman).
So the only things we have left are making and selling of linen and delivering of girdles to the merchant. First, let's talk about those girdles. The lady in question delivered them to the merchant, but didn't go out and sit in the shop the whole day. We also don't know whether she made those girdles herself or may be her servants did. We do know that she made and sold fine linen, though. She did it while staying home, so the one thing we can deduce from it, is that it's OK to have some sort of a home business.
The fact that Proverbs 31 woman had a home business hardly can be used to justify working outside home, imo, and that's exactly how this chapter is used. (It's interesting, that Proverbs 7 describes a harlot as a woman whose feet "abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets...").
Further on, Proverbs 31 lady having a home business means that it's OK to make and sell stuff from home (I'm, for instance, trying to sell my book), but it doesn't make it mandatory for women to earn or help earn an income. The book of Proverbs is after all in the Old Testament. OT is important, but we as Christians live under the New Covenant. While the moral laws such as the Ten Commandments are still valid for us today, we don't follow the Hebrew dietary prescriptions, e.g.
The Christian teaching about the role of women is summed up in 1 Timothy 5 and Titus 2:
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
and That they (aged women) may teach the young women to ...be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed.
I very much doubt that the ladies who insist that it's OK to have a career because Proverbs 31 woman bought a field, would be thrilled if their husbands came home one day and announced that they were taking another wife. After all, polygamy is in the Bible, too! It's evident that they just pick and choose the verses they like, while totally disregarding the context in which they were written.
Women throughout the ages used to participate in the market to a certain degree. There is nothing wrong with it, however, the traditional breadwinner role belongs to the man. Man makes a living, woman makes life worth living. Don't let Proverbs 31 feminists intimidate you.
I have come to the conclusion that Proverbs 31 is the most feminist chapter of the Bible. Whenever an attempt is made to defend traditional family roles for men and women, somebody somewhere is bound to produce it as the ultimate proof that it's OK for a Christian woman to have a career. Because the Proverbs 31 woman buys a field and makes fine linen and sells it and delivers girdles to the merchants. This is the argument in a nutshell.
I have noticed that for feminists it's always about money. Proverbs 31 woman did a lot of things. For instance, she made herself clothes (coverings of tapestry), but feminists don't run to their husbands demanding that the husbands buy them sewing machines. They don't use the chapter as the proof that a lady should make her own clothes or learn how to spin, or work in the garden the whole day.
Proverbs 31 woman was obviously a wealthy woman. She had servants (gave a portion to her maidens). Yet I have never heard this chapter used as a proof that every married woman should be able to hire domestic help. By some reason, only the money-related activities described in Proverbs 31 attract so much attention. Let's look at them more closely.
So Proverbs 31 lady considereth a field and buyeth it. How does it make her a career woman? Did she do real estate? Was she in a habit of buying fields? How often did she do it? How big exactly was this field? May be, it was just a small piece of land. May be, it was normal for women of her social class to make such purchases, just as nowadays women will often buy new furniture for their household and the like. I fail to see what buying a field has to do with working outside home (the fact that she planted a vineyard doesn't prove it, either, otherwise every housewife with a garden should be called a career woman).
So the only things we have left are making and selling of linen and delivering of girdles to the merchant. First, let's talk about those girdles. The lady in question delivered them to the merchant, but didn't go out and sit in the shop the whole day. We also don't know whether she made those girdles herself or may be her servants did. We do know that she made and sold fine linen, though. She did it while staying home, so the one thing we can deduce from it, is that it's OK to have some sort of a home business.
The fact that Proverbs 31 woman had a home business hardly can be used to justify working outside home, imo, and that's exactly how this chapter is used. (It's interesting, that Proverbs 7 describes a harlot as a woman whose feet "abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets...").
Further on, Proverbs 31 lady having a home business means that it's OK to make and sell stuff from home (I'm, for instance, trying to sell my book), but it doesn't make it mandatory for women to earn or help earn an income. The book of Proverbs is after all in the Old Testament. OT is important, but we as Christians live under the New Covenant. While the moral laws such as the Ten Commandments are still valid for us today, we don't follow the Hebrew dietary prescriptions, e.g.
The Christian teaching about the role of women is summed up in 1 Timothy 5 and Titus 2:
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
and That they (aged women) may teach the young women to ...be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed.
I very much doubt that the ladies who insist that it's OK to have a career because Proverbs 31 woman bought a field, would be thrilled if their husbands came home one day and announced that they were taking another wife. After all, polygamy is in the Bible, too! It's evident that they just pick and choose the verses they like, while totally disregarding the context in which they were written.
Women throughout the ages used to participate in the market to a certain degree. There is nothing wrong with it, however, the traditional breadwinner role belongs to the man. Man makes a living, woman makes life worth living. Don't let Proverbs 31 feminists intimidate you.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
You Are Better Than This
Western mass media have been promoting certain lies to women for quite some time already, in the name of emancipation.
Supposedly, if you don't take care of your appearance and dress like a (male) slob, you are emancipated. On the other hand, if you wear the bare minimum of clothing allowing total strangers to lust after you, it's emancipation, too. Disfiguring your body with tattoos and piercings is emancipation. Letting yourself being sexually used and abused by strange men, getting some nasty STD in the process, is emancipation. So is destroying your own progeny in the name of your career.
Having a child outside wedlock is emancipation. Leaving a small helpless baby in the care of others to push papers in the office or clean the WC somewhere is emancipation, too. Breaking your wedding vows and divorcing your husband is also emancipation, the same as getting drunk and having one night stands. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
The truth is, all these behaviours are not emancipation. The true name is degeneration and the MSM have being promoting it since the times of the so-called "sexual revolution." You are better than this.
A lady who has self-respect won't leave her house looking like a woman of ill repute or someone who lives under the bridge. None of us in the West are so poor as not to be able to afford some decent looking clothes. For those who are really short of money, there is always the market and thrift stores.
Never cleaning your house is not a sign of being emancipated from oppressive patriarchy. It's a sign of being lazy and slovenly and belonging to an underclass of society. Never bothering to cook for your family and relying on takeouts and fast food will lead to obesity and other health problems. Dying from diabetes type 2 is not emancipation, it's extinction.
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Tattooing it is comparable to graffiti on an ancient cathedral. You are better than this. Promiscuous behaviour brings little satisfaction, but a lot of health and safety hazards. It's not cool, it's dirty and nasty. Divorce without a good reason is breaking of one's wedding vows. It's the ultimate form of dishonesty and betrayal and the person who does it, should be shunned in the same manner as we would avoid doing business with a dishonest person or a fraudulent enterprise.
We are better than this. We have better things to do than follow the life of the so-called celebrities through reality TV shows or waste our time on trashy entertainment. Our ancestors achieved some great things and built the modern world as we know it. We should mantain and preserve it, instead of squandering.
Supposedly, if you don't take care of your appearance and dress like a (male) slob, you are emancipated. On the other hand, if you wear the bare minimum of clothing allowing total strangers to lust after you, it's emancipation, too. Disfiguring your body with tattoos and piercings is emancipation. Letting yourself being sexually used and abused by strange men, getting some nasty STD in the process, is emancipation. So is destroying your own progeny in the name of your career.
Having a child outside wedlock is emancipation. Leaving a small helpless baby in the care of others to push papers in the office or clean the WC somewhere is emancipation, too. Breaking your wedding vows and divorcing your husband is also emancipation, the same as getting drunk and having one night stands. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
The truth is, all these behaviours are not emancipation. The true name is degeneration and the MSM have being promoting it since the times of the so-called "sexual revolution." You are better than this.
A lady who has self-respect won't leave her house looking like a woman of ill repute or someone who lives under the bridge. None of us in the West are so poor as not to be able to afford some decent looking clothes. For those who are really short of money, there is always the market and thrift stores.
Never cleaning your house is not a sign of being emancipated from oppressive patriarchy. It's a sign of being lazy and slovenly and belonging to an underclass of society. Never bothering to cook for your family and relying on takeouts and fast food will lead to obesity and other health problems. Dying from diabetes type 2 is not emancipation, it's extinction.
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Tattooing it is comparable to graffiti on an ancient cathedral. You are better than this. Promiscuous behaviour brings little satisfaction, but a lot of health and safety hazards. It's not cool, it's dirty and nasty. Divorce without a good reason is breaking of one's wedding vows. It's the ultimate form of dishonesty and betrayal and the person who does it, should be shunned in the same manner as we would avoid doing business with a dishonest person or a fraudulent enterprise.
We are better than this. We have better things to do than follow the life of the so-called celebrities through reality TV shows or waste our time on trashy entertainment. Our ancestors achieved some great things and built the modern world as we know it. We should mantain and preserve it, instead of squandering.
Monday, April 21, 2014
April Links
Vox Day on abuse of minors in Hollywood:
The Hollywood mafia in the media crosshairs
Will S. on how promoting adultery nowadays is nothing personal, just business:
Infidelity goes global as cheating site Ashley Madison expands
Matt Walsh on the "gender" wage gap:
Thank God for the gender wage gap
Lady Lydia on old-fashioned femininity:
Victorian Style Clothing
Bruce Charlton on the importance of creative hobbies:
Creativity and hobbies
Darla Shine on the recent statistics of women choosing family over career:
Women going back home
Traditional Catholic teaching on the role of mothers:
The Home-or-Career Dilemma for a Mother
A Protestant mother on the role of the married woman:
Woman The Homemaker
The Hollywood mafia in the media crosshairs
Will S. on how promoting adultery nowadays is nothing personal, just business:
Infidelity goes global as cheating site Ashley Madison expands
Matt Walsh on the "gender" wage gap:
Thank God for the gender wage gap
Lady Lydia on old-fashioned femininity:
Victorian Style Clothing
Bruce Charlton on the importance of creative hobbies:
Creativity and hobbies
Darla Shine on the recent statistics of women choosing family over career:
Women going back home
Traditional Catholic teaching on the role of mothers:
The Home-or-Career Dilemma for a Mother
A Protestant mother on the role of the married woman:
Woman The Homemaker
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Men Behind The New World Order
Under The New World Order I don't mean masonic conspiraties or any such thing, but the change which happened in the 18th and 19th centuries from Throne and Altar to popular democracies. Those behind the change were overwhelmingly men, some of them supported feminism, others didn't but they all believed in fraternite, egalite, liberte at least to a certain degree.
Among those men there were some interesting characters which deserve a closer look. Last year I did a Wiki research on the origin of the story of Zorro for a film review and got immersed in a rather bloody history of Latin America that in the beginning of the 19th century was chiefly under the Spanish rule. I found out that the character of Zorro was probably partly based on Manuel Rodriguez (I may write about him when I have time, in the meanwhile you can check the Wikipedia article if you are interested), a school friend of Jose Miguel Carrera, a much more colourful person and a real life example of what they call an "alpha male".
Jose Miguel was born in Chile in 1785 to a prominent family, got educated at the best school of the country and was sent to Spain where he began his military career. He fought against Napoleon and received the command of a regiment. In 1810 he returned to Chile and together with his brothers took part in a coup d'état which made him the sole ruler of Chile at the age of 26.
Carrera was a nationalist which caused a conflict between him and other revolutionaries who were planning to create a Latin American Union (sounds familiar). He improved the life of the common citizens by abolishing slavery, introducing newspapers and public schooling. At this point, Spaniards decided to retake Chile so Jose Miguel went back to war and at first was successful. He also married somewhere around this time. However, his luck temporarily left him and he was surrounded by the enemy troops, but escaped through the river.
He was relieved of his command and it went to a man who became an evil genius of his life, Bernardo O'Higgins. Carrera was taken prisoner by the Spanish, escaped from prison and made another coup. He and his brothers then had to fight the forces of O'Higgins during which time the Spaniards started advancing towards the capital. The rebels had to unite their forces but O'Higgins lost a very important battle and they all had to run for their lives, but Carrera still managed to have another quarell with O'Higgins during which he slapped him, which naturally didn't make O'Higgins love him any more than he already did.
They all landed safely in Argentina, but soon the power there was taken by the globalist friends of O'Higgins and so Jose Miguel had to leave. He went to the USA where he managed to raise enough money for a small fleet but when he returned to Argentina his ships were confiscated and he himself thrown into prison. His wife during his American adventures was living in abject poverty with her two or three children who were all girls.
With the help of an American diplomat, Carrera escaped from prison and went to Brazil where he reunited with his wife who was living there during his imprisonment under the protection of a Brazilian general. His brothers, however, stayed in Argentina, which was not really wise, especially after one of them had killed a close friend of O'Higgins during a duel. With Jose Miguel out of the way, O'Higgins got his chance to revenge and both were executed on the charge of treason.
Jose Miguel learned about their death from his wife and since that moment he becamed obsessed with the desire for revenge. He went back to Argentina, started the war against the government, won it and got enough money and troops from the new government to march on Chile to finally settle his account with O'Higgins who by that time also had managed to assassinate his best school friend Rodriguez.
Carrera's wife at the moment was pregnant with another child. She begged him not to go but he wouldn't listen. The campaign proved disastrous, Jose Miguel was betrayed by one of his captains, taken prisoner by the enemy forces, tried and found guilty of war crimes and made to face a firing squad.
He died a month short of his 36th birthday, never having a chance to see his son who was born after his death. However, Jose Miguel still managed to triumph over his enemies. According to Wikipedia,
his children all married well, and as of now the upper class of Chile primarily consists of his descendants (there is a positive side to marrying early in life).
Carrera is considered one of the national heroes of Chile and they made a TV film about him which can be watched on YouTube. It was a low budget production so one shouldn't expect any Hollywood scale battle scenes and such but it was quite informative and the actor they chose looks very much like Carrera who was remarkably handsome. The negative point is that the film is in Spanish.
Since Wiki doesn't mention a lot of details, I had to rely on the information in the film, and according to it, Jose Miguel's participation in family life was chiefly restricted to occasionally coming home from another war and knocking his wife up. Despite this, his never being home, and the fact that she had married the sole ruler of Chile but spent most of her married love in poverty and exile, she was madly in love with him and never thought about other men.
One scene in the film especially is telling, when his wife, heavily pregnant, is trying to persuade Jose Miguel not to leave on the campaign which became fatal to him. He very calmly listens to her, then says something along the lines: "if you get a son, call him Jose Miguel," and continues to pack. The film ends with his widow bringing her newborn son to the church to be baptised. According to Wikipedia, they had five children together, but only three were shown in the film.
Carrera was obviously not a feminist, he was against globalism and for the nation-states, and he was a warrior who spent his whole life in the saddle and took part in some forty battles and I find him a sympathetic character, but I still don't understand how could a man of his education and abilities believe in equality and universal brotherhood.
Among those men there were some interesting characters which deserve a closer look. Last year I did a Wiki research on the origin of the story of Zorro for a film review and got immersed in a rather bloody history of Latin America that in the beginning of the 19th century was chiefly under the Spanish rule. I found out that the character of Zorro was probably partly based on Manuel Rodriguez (I may write about him when I have time, in the meanwhile you can check the Wikipedia article if you are interested), a school friend of Jose Miguel Carrera, a much more colourful person and a real life example of what they call an "alpha male".
Jose Miguel was born in Chile in 1785 to a prominent family, got educated at the best school of the country and was sent to Spain where he began his military career. He fought against Napoleon and received the command of a regiment. In 1810 he returned to Chile and together with his brothers took part in a coup d'état which made him the sole ruler of Chile at the age of 26.
Carrera was a nationalist which caused a conflict between him and other revolutionaries who were planning to create a Latin American Union (sounds familiar). He improved the life of the common citizens by abolishing slavery, introducing newspapers and public schooling. At this point, Spaniards decided to retake Chile so Jose Miguel went back to war and at first was successful. He also married somewhere around this time. However, his luck temporarily left him and he was surrounded by the enemy troops, but escaped through the river.
He was relieved of his command and it went to a man who became an evil genius of his life, Bernardo O'Higgins. Carrera was taken prisoner by the Spanish, escaped from prison and made another coup. He and his brothers then had to fight the forces of O'Higgins during which time the Spaniards started advancing towards the capital. The rebels had to unite their forces but O'Higgins lost a very important battle and they all had to run for their lives, but Carrera still managed to have another quarell with O'Higgins during which he slapped him, which naturally didn't make O'Higgins love him any more than he already did.
They all landed safely in Argentina, but soon the power there was taken by the globalist friends of O'Higgins and so Jose Miguel had to leave. He went to the USA where he managed to raise enough money for a small fleet but when he returned to Argentina his ships were confiscated and he himself thrown into prison. His wife during his American adventures was living in abject poverty with her two or three children who were all girls.
With the help of an American diplomat, Carrera escaped from prison and went to Brazil where he reunited with his wife who was living there during his imprisonment under the protection of a Brazilian general. His brothers, however, stayed in Argentina, which was not really wise, especially after one of them had killed a close friend of O'Higgins during a duel. With Jose Miguel out of the way, O'Higgins got his chance to revenge and both were executed on the charge of treason.
Jose Miguel learned about their death from his wife and since that moment he becamed obsessed with the desire for revenge. He went back to Argentina, started the war against the government, won it and got enough money and troops from the new government to march on Chile to finally settle his account with O'Higgins who by that time also had managed to assassinate his best school friend Rodriguez.
Carrera's wife at the moment was pregnant with another child. She begged him not to go but he wouldn't listen. The campaign proved disastrous, Jose Miguel was betrayed by one of his captains, taken prisoner by the enemy forces, tried and found guilty of war crimes and made to face a firing squad.
He died a month short of his 36th birthday, never having a chance to see his son who was born after his death. However, Jose Miguel still managed to triumph over his enemies. According to Wikipedia,
his children all married well, and as of now the upper class of Chile primarily consists of his descendants (there is a positive side to marrying early in life).
Carrera is considered one of the national heroes of Chile and they made a TV film about him which can be watched on YouTube. It was a low budget production so one shouldn't expect any Hollywood scale battle scenes and such but it was quite informative and the actor they chose looks very much like Carrera who was remarkably handsome. The negative point is that the film is in Spanish.
Since Wiki doesn't mention a lot of details, I had to rely on the information in the film, and according to it, Jose Miguel's participation in family life was chiefly restricted to occasionally coming home from another war and knocking his wife up. Despite this, his never being home, and the fact that she had married the sole ruler of Chile but spent most of her married love in poverty and exile, she was madly in love with him and never thought about other men.
One scene in the film especially is telling, when his wife, heavily pregnant, is trying to persuade Jose Miguel not to leave on the campaign which became fatal to him. He very calmly listens to her, then says something along the lines: "if you get a son, call him Jose Miguel," and continues to pack. The film ends with his widow bringing her newborn son to the church to be baptised. According to Wikipedia, they had five children together, but only three were shown in the film.
Carrera was obviously not a feminist, he was against globalism and for the nation-states, and he was a warrior who spent his whole life in the saddle and took part in some forty battles and I find him a sympathetic character, but I still don't understand how could a man of his education and abilities believe in equality and universal brotherhood.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Depression Style Cooking And Other Things
You can learn a lot by reading old magazines. The problems we are confronted with nowadays seem new, but in reality, every generation had to deal with them, more or less. Nowadays people complain about the rising costs of life, forgetting that we still live in the times of plenty compared to our ancestors. I'm always reminded about it while scanning through old ladies'magazines from the end of the 1930s.
They have a lot of useful advice on housekeeping, crafts and cooking, and weekly menues in two variants, for those with more or less money. I used some of them as a source of inspiration while planning my own meals. The difference with modern recipes is that ingredients were simple and inexpensive, while the cooking process was often complicated. Nowadays it's vice versa, the recipes usually require fancy ingredients, while cooking methods are very simple.
For instance, in Libelle n.13 which came out on the 29th of March 1940, there is an article about potatoes which discusses several possibilities of preparing them: potatoes stewed with bacon and onions, potato balls in tomato sauce, potato patties with cheese etc. Another article suggests housewives try several ways of making and serving an omelette.
I have a Granny who was like this, she seldom used cooking books but could make several dishes from mashed potatoes or cabbage. Here, for instance is a great way to serve cabbage differently: cabbage burgers. It's my own recipe, which was inspired by my Granny who just turned 90, by the way:
Chop the cabbage very finely (actually I think you are supposed to rasp it, but chopping is OK, too), mix it with an egg/eggs, add salt and herbs to taste and enough flour to make a sort of sticky dough, roll in more flour to form small patties and bake on both sides until ready.
Old ladies'magazines published much more than just recipes, as they contained short stories, romantic novels and information on history and life in different countries. Libelle n. 17 from the same year, for instance, had an article about Dutch princess Wilhelmina and her daughter, who lived in the end of the 18th century.
Wilhelmina:
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Though she was of the royal blood, Wilhelmina encountered all the problems modern mothers have. She lived in the times of the nearly complete lack of morals by everyone in society, while trying to raise her children well. Her daughter Louisa had to marry a German prince and her mother wrote several letters to her giving her advice about her future life as a married woman.
It's noteworthy, that according to Wilhelmina the happiness in marriage was the result of fulfilling your wifely duties, not of the romantic feelings. She also advised her daughter to flee temptation and not consider herself stronger than others as everybody can fall into sin if he doesn't take care.
Both hers and her daughter's family had constant financial problems so that they had to scrimp and save, for instance, Wilhelmina sent her daughter expensive tea from Holland but recommended mixing it with a cheap brand.
After her daughter's marriage Wilhelmina's other children left, too, and she became an empty-nester, so while her husband was away on business she entertained herself with reading books, doing crafts and painting. When her eldest son was planning to marry, it was Wilhelmina's task to see to the renovation of his future residence according to the modern standards.
The article (written by Dr Mrs Klijnhout) doesn't say that Wilhelmina was engaged in state business or in political intrigues, she seemed to be quite content being the wife and mother and doing usual feminine stuff, first raising children, then marrying them off and engaging in hobbies and crafts, and trying to practise economy yet she seemed content though she lived in the times of social upheaval. I think she is a good example to the modern women.
They have a lot of useful advice on housekeeping, crafts and cooking, and weekly menues in two variants, for those with more or less money. I used some of them as a source of inspiration while planning my own meals. The difference with modern recipes is that ingredients were simple and inexpensive, while the cooking process was often complicated. Nowadays it's vice versa, the recipes usually require fancy ingredients, while cooking methods are very simple.
For instance, in Libelle n.13 which came out on the 29th of March 1940, there is an article about potatoes which discusses several possibilities of preparing them: potatoes stewed with bacon and onions, potato balls in tomato sauce, potato patties with cheese etc. Another article suggests housewives try several ways of making and serving an omelette.
I have a Granny who was like this, she seldom used cooking books but could make several dishes from mashed potatoes or cabbage. Here, for instance is a great way to serve cabbage differently: cabbage burgers. It's my own recipe, which was inspired by my Granny who just turned 90, by the way:
Old ladies'magazines published much more than just recipes, as they contained short stories, romantic novels and information on history and life in different countries. Libelle n. 17 from the same year, for instance, had an article about Dutch princess Wilhelmina and her daughter, who lived in the end of the 18th century.
Wilhelmina:
It's noteworthy, that according to Wilhelmina the happiness in marriage was the result of fulfilling your wifely duties, not of the romantic feelings. She also advised her daughter to flee temptation and not consider herself stronger than others as everybody can fall into sin if he doesn't take care.
Both hers and her daughter's family had constant financial problems so that they had to scrimp and save, for instance, Wilhelmina sent her daughter expensive tea from Holland but recommended mixing it with a cheap brand.
After her daughter's marriage Wilhelmina's other children left, too, and she became an empty-nester, so while her husband was away on business she entertained herself with reading books, doing crafts and painting. When her eldest son was planning to marry, it was Wilhelmina's task to see to the renovation of his future residence according to the modern standards.
The article (written by Dr Mrs Klijnhout) doesn't say that Wilhelmina was engaged in state business or in political intrigues, she seemed to be quite content being the wife and mother and doing usual feminine stuff, first raising children, then marrying them off and engaging in hobbies and crafts, and trying to practise economy yet she seemed content though she lived in the times of social upheaval. I think she is a good example to the modern women.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
More On Spring Fashions
Last year I took a solemn decision never to start sewing again, only to break it when I saw this magazine with latest spring fashions on sale:
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I had problems with it in the past, but decided to give it another try, as I really liked some of their designs. Not trusting my own skill, I decided to begin with something very easy, like this skirt:
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I thought it too long though and made the pattern shorter. I was planning to sew a summer skirt from light fabric, but got this one instead:
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Luddite that I am, I did it all by hand and it turned out quite nice, imo. Next time I'll try something more complicated.
Luddite that I am, I did it all by hand and it turned out quite nice, imo. Next time I'll try something more complicated.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Personal
Lamborghini Aventador (not, it's not mine:)
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Our renovated terrace (the table was built by my husband from two old ones):
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Blijdorp (a zoo in Rotterdam):
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Exploring a swamp:
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Playing golf (OK, midget golf:)
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Have a blessed Sunday!
Friday, April 11, 2014
Gaelic Psalms
These psalms, sung in unaccompanied Gaelic, are a part of European cultural heritage. They are also stunningly beautiful:
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Vanilla Cheese Cake
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I thought it was time for another recipe, so here it comes: Vanilla Cheese Cake.
It was inspired by this magazine:
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You make the crust from crushed cookies+ melted butter.
Further, you will need 1kg of quark, 1 pkg vanilla sugar (8g), 1c brown sugar, 4 eggs and 4tbsp flour, which you mix together and pour over the crust.
I baked it according to the magazine's advice in the slow oven (+130*C) for 2 hours. Let it cool and serve with strawberry sauce (I used store-bought):
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Monday, April 7, 2014
Homemakers Should Not Be Made Feeling Guilty For Enjoying Life At Home!
Housewives are often made to feel guilty by others for staying home and enjoying life. The people around will often begrudgingly acknowledge that there can be situations which demand that women stay home, for instance, taking care of small children or homeschooling, or (in the case of conservative Christians), if the husband insists on it, but in all those cases the underlying idea is that if the wife stays home she'd better spend all her time cleaning or cooking or homeschooling, and if she's done all that, she should engage in some money-making activity, such as babysitting or a home business.
God forbid a lady at home would spend some time in creative pursuits such as drawing or learning to play the piano, and if she sits in the garden with a book while the children are taking a nap, she is looked upon as some sort of a criminal.
Homeschooling mothers will often have it easier because the society will assume they still have enough to do, but if your children go to school, you will get all sorts of nasty comments from the people around concerned with you "doing nothing" during their school hours. As for the ladies who are childless or whose children are grown, not even advanced years can save them from being pushed to find a job, especially now, when Western governments seriously discuss how to make their subjects work until 70 (in the case of Sweden, I heard till 75).
The same goes about spending money. It's true, with one income families money is often tight, but it's not always the case, and even if the woman doesn't marry into a wealthy family, she still can have enough money to spend due to the careful management of finances; but if she goes and buys something for herself once in a while such as a new dress or a glossy magazine, or hires a housekeeper to help her with her domestic duties, she will get all sorts of nasty reactions, accused of wasting her husband's money etc etc.
It never comes to the mind of her critics that she also contributes to the family finances by the wise money management and thus is entitled to some rewards. After all, many husbands don't think twice of spending money on various toys men are so fond of, why can't the wife buy something for herself now and then. (Of course, I'm not talking about the situations when the family encounters financial problems and the wife keeps spending money on useless stuff).
The critics don't understand that home is different from office and factory, where the employees must show at certain hours, perform their duties, then go home and forget all about it. The wife at home has flexible working hours, and the nature of her activities will change according to the season, the age of her children, her husband's job etc. No two households are the same, thus the life of one homemaker will be different from another.
One will be more engaged with her children, another will take care of aging parents or grandparents, yet another woman will accompany her husband on his business trips. The duties of a homemaker simply can't be compared to the standardized work of a post-industrial society.
With all the accent on "diversity" in the media, what our society really values, is uniformity, we have all to be the same, so that we will all be equal. The housewife is dangerous because she isn't subjected to the government regulations and her activities can't be measured and taxed. And, as some people put it, "she doesn't contribute to the country's GDP."
I also have to laugh about the remarks of those critics (chiefly men), who state that housework is much easier nowadays because we have the vacuumcleaner. Of course, those men are also not exactly ploughing the fields themselves, or working 16 hours a day in the coalmines, but the thought how much easier they have it nowadays, doesn't really cross their minds.
The Bible calls the woman "a weaker vessel". I know that feminists point out this verse as the proof of dscrimination, for me, however, it's really about protection. Women are more fragile than men and have to be protected from strenous work, if they are to perform their biological function of bearing and raising children. In the 19th century, various governments across Europe were worried about lower class women and girls working too hard which led to them not being able to perform their domestic and maternal functions, and took steps to protect femininity, such as 1842 Mine Act in UK. (You can read about it over here, scroll down to the year 1842).
The homemaker may not work 8 hours after each other non-stop, like her husband does, she can take a break during the time he is at work and her children are at school, but in the evening when the husband relaxes with a cup of coffee in front of the TV, and the children are in bed, she will wash the dishes and make lunch for the next day and plan her shopping. This is no less work, even though it's done outside of office hours.
As a homemaker, if you do your duty by taking care of your home, husband and children, you shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed for enjoying your free time by doing something you like. You are not a machine and you also need rest. Home shouldn't be a place to stress out about meeting deadlines, but rather a haven of comfort and peace, and if your husband is satisfied with the way you run things, you can safely tell your critics to get lost.
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God forbid a lady at home would spend some time in creative pursuits such as drawing or learning to play the piano, and if she sits in the garden with a book while the children are taking a nap, she is looked upon as some sort of a criminal.
Homeschooling mothers will often have it easier because the society will assume they still have enough to do, but if your children go to school, you will get all sorts of nasty comments from the people around concerned with you "doing nothing" during their school hours. As for the ladies who are childless or whose children are grown, not even advanced years can save them from being pushed to find a job, especially now, when Western governments seriously discuss how to make their subjects work until 70 (in the case of Sweden, I heard till 75).
The same goes about spending money. It's true, with one income families money is often tight, but it's not always the case, and even if the woman doesn't marry into a wealthy family, she still can have enough money to spend due to the careful management of finances; but if she goes and buys something for herself once in a while such as a new dress or a glossy magazine, or hires a housekeeper to help her with her domestic duties, she will get all sorts of nasty reactions, accused of wasting her husband's money etc etc.
It never comes to the mind of her critics that she also contributes to the family finances by the wise money management and thus is entitled to some rewards. After all, many husbands don't think twice of spending money on various toys men are so fond of, why can't the wife buy something for herself now and then. (Of course, I'm not talking about the situations when the family encounters financial problems and the wife keeps spending money on useless stuff).
The critics don't understand that home is different from office and factory, where the employees must show at certain hours, perform their duties, then go home and forget all about it. The wife at home has flexible working hours, and the nature of her activities will change according to the season, the age of her children, her husband's job etc. No two households are the same, thus the life of one homemaker will be different from another.
One will be more engaged with her children, another will take care of aging parents or grandparents, yet another woman will accompany her husband on his business trips. The duties of a homemaker simply can't be compared to the standardized work of a post-industrial society.
With all the accent on "diversity" in the media, what our society really values, is uniformity, we have all to be the same, so that we will all be equal. The housewife is dangerous because she isn't subjected to the government regulations and her activities can't be measured and taxed. And, as some people put it, "she doesn't contribute to the country's GDP."
I also have to laugh about the remarks of those critics (chiefly men), who state that housework is much easier nowadays because we have the vacuumcleaner. Of course, those men are also not exactly ploughing the fields themselves, or working 16 hours a day in the coalmines, but the thought how much easier they have it nowadays, doesn't really cross their minds.
The Bible calls the woman "a weaker vessel". I know that feminists point out this verse as the proof of dscrimination, for me, however, it's really about protection. Women are more fragile than men and have to be protected from strenous work, if they are to perform their biological function of bearing and raising children. In the 19th century, various governments across Europe were worried about lower class women and girls working too hard which led to them not being able to perform their domestic and maternal functions, and took steps to protect femininity, such as 1842 Mine Act in UK. (You can read about it over here, scroll down to the year 1842).
The homemaker may not work 8 hours after each other non-stop, like her husband does, she can take a break during the time he is at work and her children are at school, but in the evening when the husband relaxes with a cup of coffee in front of the TV, and the children are in bed, she will wash the dishes and make lunch for the next day and plan her shopping. This is no less work, even though it's done outside of office hours.
As a homemaker, if you do your duty by taking care of your home, husband and children, you shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed for enjoying your free time by doing something you like. You are not a machine and you also need rest. Home shouldn't be a place to stress out about meeting deadlines, but rather a haven of comfort and peace, and if your husband is satisfied with the way you run things, you can safely tell your critics to get lost.
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Saturday, April 5, 2014
My Easter Tree
That's how they were supposed to look:
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That's how they turned out:
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Close-ups:
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Aren't they cute???
All in all, I'm quite content!
That's how they turned out:
Close-ups:
All in all, I'm quite content!
Friday, April 4, 2014
From The Home Front
I should probably be writing about spring cleaning right now, but the truth is that I haven't done any as of yet:) I've been feeling sick the whole week with something which looks like spring fever but could very well be flu and have difficulty with walking the stairs! (we have 3 staircases in our house:) I feel like a 60+ person.
The weather has been really strange this year. We had basically no winter and then we sprang right into summer, with the temperatures above +20*C, so that I had to take out my summer clothes, and then the temperature dropped back to +12*C.
I have nearly finished my craft project (bunnies and chickens for the Easter tree), I'll try to post the pictures tomorrow. Also, despite all my resolutions to never do it again, I bought not one but two sewing magazines and hope to start working at a new project next week. There was also a new issue of Delicious with Easter recipes in the supermarket today and I just couldn't walk past it without buying:)
It's amazing how expensive all these magazines are, considering that you can buy a dress for the same amount of money at a Goodwill store, and it will be a brand and in a good condition. My friend and I have been patronising it lately and found some nice clothes there recently, as good as new:)
Our cat Frodo has been injured pretty badly in a fight, and got an abscess in his ear. I tried to treat it with betadine, but rather unsuccessfully so we had to take him to the vet in the end, who right away started to try to persuade me to neuter Frodo, which I refused to do. It only cost me 66 euros this time, which is a huge amount of money, of course, but I had expected to pay at least twice as much!
Well, thank Heaven for antibiotics, the cat got better and even managed to fight again and to come back with the scratches in that very ear, but luckily they healed. The ear looks pretty mangled though, and the fur which they had shaved at the vet's still hasn't grown back fully, so he looks rather ridiculous, but doesn't seem to care and spends most of his time outside.
My Granny turned 90 two days ago, we gave her a photo album as the birthday present and she was very happy with it. I got my birthday present beforehand, being more of a "diamonds are the girl's best friends" type of person, I always asked for gold and jewels, but this year I wanted to have an e-reader. My husband promptly downloaded 50.000 free books from Project Gutenberg which I don't know what to do about now.
That's about all for today, I really hope I'll feel better tomorrow and write about something more sophisticated, or post some nice pictures of our terrace which we renovated this year. Greetings from the not-so-sunny at the moment Netherlands!
The weather has been really strange this year. We had basically no winter and then we sprang right into summer, with the temperatures above +20*C, so that I had to take out my summer clothes, and then the temperature dropped back to +12*C.
I have nearly finished my craft project (bunnies and chickens for the Easter tree), I'll try to post the pictures tomorrow. Also, despite all my resolutions to never do it again, I bought not one but two sewing magazines and hope to start working at a new project next week. There was also a new issue of Delicious with Easter recipes in the supermarket today and I just couldn't walk past it without buying:)
It's amazing how expensive all these magazines are, considering that you can buy a dress for the same amount of money at a Goodwill store, and it will be a brand and in a good condition. My friend and I have been patronising it lately and found some nice clothes there recently, as good as new:)
Our cat Frodo has been injured pretty badly in a fight, and got an abscess in his ear. I tried to treat it with betadine, but rather unsuccessfully so we had to take him to the vet in the end, who right away started to try to persuade me to neuter Frodo, which I refused to do. It only cost me 66 euros this time, which is a huge amount of money, of course, but I had expected to pay at least twice as much!
Well, thank Heaven for antibiotics, the cat got better and even managed to fight again and to come back with the scratches in that very ear, but luckily they healed. The ear looks pretty mangled though, and the fur which they had shaved at the vet's still hasn't grown back fully, so he looks rather ridiculous, but doesn't seem to care and spends most of his time outside.
My Granny turned 90 two days ago, we gave her a photo album as the birthday present and she was very happy with it. I got my birthday present beforehand, being more of a "diamonds are the girl's best friends" type of person, I always asked for gold and jewels, but this year I wanted to have an e-reader. My husband promptly downloaded 50.000 free books from Project Gutenberg which I don't know what to do about now.
That's about all for today, I really hope I'll feel better tomorrow and write about something more sophisticated, or post some nice pictures of our terrace which we renovated this year. Greetings from the not-so-sunny at the moment Netherlands!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
For God And Fatherland...
If you are prudish, I suggest you don't watch the video. Otherwise, it's quite funny:
It's practically the first time that mainstream culture seems to acknowledge the fact that the main purpose of sexual encounter is procreation and encourages reproduction instead of hedonism. Europe could do with more indigenous folks, so wherever you are, do it for you country!:)
It's practically the first time that mainstream culture seems to acknowledge the fact that the main purpose of sexual encounter is procreation and encourages reproduction instead of hedonism. Europe could do with more indigenous folks, so wherever you are, do it for you country!:)