Hints for Homemaking

I was helping my mother in law clean out part of a bookcase. I relieved her of Ella May's Hints for Homemakers, published in 1973 by Herald Press.

I tried this hint and liked it: "Wash windows with a solution of 1/2 cup ammonia and 1/8 cup of vinegar to one quart of warm water. Your windows will glow with no streaks, and this cleaning fluid is much cheaper than prepared window sprays."

(She forgot to say that a glowing, streakless patio door is an invitation to sticky hands and faces.)

My favorite hint so far: "A house that is always spotless and never cluttered may be a sign that the needs of the family members are not being adequately met. Remember that a house is to live in as well as to keep clean and neat."

Some lived-in signs around here:
Getting ready to make COOKIES!!! (Gasp at Helen sitting so close to my knives.)


Eating corn on the combine, like Owen calls it. Thank the Lord we made it through corn day, and I have 60 pints of corn in my freezer, no cuts on my hands, and no burns on the children from the turkey fryer we used to blanch the corn.

And some last-minute sewing before the baby comes:
A dress for Abby.
And a dress for Helen, made from a pillowcase I found on Lisa's yard sale last summer. Poor Helen hated the dress. Mean mama made her wear it anyway.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, right on my due date. Until then, I'll be scrubbing my lived-on floors and folding laundry.