Thursday, July 24, 2014

Spell me...

(backyard garden)

Hubby radio'd me this afternoon to see if I could go rake some hay for him.  Yes, I could.  I took the Ranger out to the hay field and proceeded to turn hay over.  We had had a lovely rain the day before and so only the thin hay was going to be baled today.  The heavy, wetter stuff would have to wait.  Anyway, as I was working on the second hour of raking, NumberOneSon called me on the radio.

"Mom, would you like me to spell you?"

"No, I'm ok," I said.

"I'm going to give you a break anyway," he insisted.

As I waited for his arrival, I thought about what a lovely phrase it is:  "Can I spell you?"  I don't think it's a phrase often used these days, is it?  Just like the phrase, "Sit a spell."  How often do you hear those words out of anyone's mouth who's under 60?  I like the old-fashioned phrases and words.  They make me think of simple days, of my grandparents and even my own parents who aren't so very old, and I wonder if one day my grandchildren will remember words and phrases that I used?

That reminds me.  Yesterday JLo (first-DIL) and I were working in the kitchen on some plantain infused oil.  I had gathered a basketful of it from below the backyard and was washing it up and spinning it dry.  The grandkids were here too and they just love to mess around in the kitchen at whatever I'm doing.  We were packing the plantain leaves into mason jars and pouring oil over them.  I remembered that I had some mini glass roll-on containers that I thought might be nice to put some of the oil in for carrying in a purse or diaper bag when the need arises.  As I was fishing them out of the plastic, Peach and Toodles thought that they would each like a "potion jar" as they call them to take outside.  They proceeded out the screen door with their jars in hand and collected a few rose petals in them, determined to make their own potions.  It thrills my heart to see them creating things from nature, whether real or pretend.  They see us and they want to do it too.  JLo said we may need to make a recipe book of Gram's potions one day for wedding gifts.

If you are curious about making plantain infused oil or salve, click on these links:  Wellness Mama or Mommypotomus.  Plantain oil or salve is great for relieving bug bits, poison ivy or oak, for healing scrapes, burns or nasty diaper rashes.  Check out MK's posts about it too!  Sit a spell and enjoy the reading!

7 comments:

  1. The pictures of your garden and the green-and-gold prairie just thrill my heart! Summer is wonderful. Someday I will come and sit a spell, God willing. :-)

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  2. Love those old phrases, too. What a cute picture in my head of the little ones collection the rose petals...

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  3. Great to know. I have never heard of that either. I love your garden. IT looks so pretty. How nice to have the girls already collecting to make things. It really is a lost art I think.
    I have a old book and in it that is the one thing an accomplished housewife should know. How to collect from the wild to be able to see to the health of her family.
    Yes, I am finding now, I use phrases and maybe not my kids but people they use them too they have to explain. Like the cart before the horse. Simple ones like that. I don't even know what plantain looks like so I have to go read up. :)

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  4. Oh, your garden is so lovely, Jody. What a feast for the eyes with such a variety of pretty colors. And the story of your little grandgirls is so sweet. I bet they are bigger than I am imagining they are.
    Hugs from Texas, Leslie

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  5. Jody -- your flower gardens are gorgeous! It sounds like you're having a wonderful summer with your family -- I'm going to start calling you Caroline!

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  6. Thanks, Jody! I've enjoyed that salve so much. And I like your post about old words and phrases. Haven't heard anyone use "spell" in that context for a while. My kids make fun of some of my old timey phrases, which I got from my mom or grandmother. I say "Good Gravy Train" sometimes, and a few others I can't call to mind. My family are from West Virginia, and there are a lot of crazy phrases up in those mountains!!!

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  7. This was a really, really sweet blog post. I love to think of my grand-daughters growing up to do things that they learned from me. It's so special to see that, isn't it? I absolutely adore your son's words: Would you like me to spell you? There's so much in there to love! - Dori -

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