Thursday, August 27, 2009

Who Said "History Was Boring?"

A Bit of History

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Marriage
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

It's Raining Cats and Dogs
Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw - piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.
Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

Canopy Beds
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. That posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

Dirt Poor and Thresh Hold
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway.
Hence the saying a "thresh hold."

Peas Porridge Hot, Peas Porridge Cold....
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Bring Home the Bacon and Chew the Fat

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Burning the Candle at Both Ends
They would often use a reed full of bacon fat and burn this this for light at night, but when guests came over they would light both ends for more light, thus "burning the candle at both ends." Those with money had plates made of pewter.

Tomatoes

Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

The Upper Crust
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

A Wake
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

Bone House & Saved by the Bell
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."

And that's the truth! Now, whoever said that history was boring?

Monday, August 24, 2009

Happy Birthday BIg Sister:



It has been almost 2 yrs since my sister has passed. Today is her birthday. May we send her a blessing. Went to the cemetery and say "Happy Birthday Sis" and left a flower by her plot. We do misses her very much and this is her second birthday in heaven. May the good lord bless her.P.S. She could've been 53
Nancy

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Funny joke: Hospitals

I got this joke from a friend in my e-mail.

Hospitals:

A man is lying in bed in the hospital with an oxygen mask over his mouth. A young nurse appears to sponge his hands and feet.

"Nurse," he mumbles from behind the mask, "Are my testicles black?"

Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, "I don't know, I'm only here to wash your hands and feet."

He struggles again to ask, "Nurse, are my testicles black?"

Finally she pulls back the covers, raises his gown, holds his penis in one hand and his testicles in her other hand and takes a close look, and says, "There's nothing wrong with them!"

Finally, the man pulls off his oxygen mask and replies,

"That was very nice but, are... my... test...results...back?"

Another hot day and photos..








We were supposed to have rain in our forecast and I believe we will tonight. It has been a hot and humid all weekend until now. Today I see 90 degree.. Whooo it's hot! I do got some photos from the poolside. In the meantime just about nobody has shown up to use the pool. I was in it this afternoon and it was peaceful. Everybody has been good.So, here are some of my photos and I will be back soon. Take care and enjoy your rest of the summer.
Nancy

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Sunday funnies: Boys and Girls-cute

Don't eat chicken sandwiches, no matter what.....

A little boy and a little girl attended the same school and became friends.

Every day they would sit together to eat their lunch. They discovered that
they both brought chicken sandwiches every day!

This went on all through the fourth and fifth grades, until one day he
noticed that her sandwich wasn't a chicken sandwich.

He said, "Hey, how come you're not eating chicken, don't you like it anymore?"
She said "I love it but I have to stop eating it."


"Why?" he asked.

She pointed to her lap and said
"Cause I'm starting to grow little feathers down there!"

"Let me see" he said.

"Okay" and she pulled up her skirt.
He looked and said, "That's right. You are!
Better not eat any more chicken."
He kept eating his chicken sandwiches until one day he brought peanut butter.

He said to the little girl, "I have to stop eating chicken sandwiches,
I'm starting to get feathers down there too!"

She asked if she could look, so he pulled down his pants for her.


She said "Oh, my God, it's too late for you!
You've already got the neck and the gizzards."






Friday, August 14, 2009

Finally! That we got some hot weather..


Hello and I'm back. The weather here in New York has been heating up the storm. We'd been in our pool just about every days. Can you blame me.LOL. Last month we'd got a lot of cool temps and rain just about everyday. It's been not a great summer until now. Now that the summer is almost over and it just beginning to come around. In some area were I live, the next counties had more rain and under water. I know that some of you went through this in the south. Apparently we had it. Thanks goodness it stop for a while. It's supposed to be in the upper 80's this weekend and I am definetly ready.
Here are some photos of the flowers that growing in my backyard. The flower were my brothers. He planted these. The yellow one is a flower that grew in our wildflower.Never recall seeing that one before. I will post soon and have a good night.
Nancy

Angel Trumpets


Monday, August 10, 2009

Beautiful SIsters: By Maya Angelou






BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

By Maya Angelou


'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living;'
I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou;
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Pretty is as pretty does... But beautiful is just plain beautiful!

TODAY IS BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTERS DAY- TAG, YOU'RE IT!

I'm supposed to send this to BEAUTIFUL WOMEN, and you are one of them!!!
If you share this with other women, you will boost another woman's self esteem, and she will know that you care about her.