Depression Recipes and ramblings...

We are reading (and loving!...but not seeming to find enough time to read as it as much as we want too!!!) To Kill A Mocking Bird and we are going to then go on and read The Grapes Of Wrath.  So, I decided why not just do a unit study on the Great Depression!  Why not pile on more to the list of school work!  That is just what I do people. 

I found this adorable lady named Clara, who is 94 years old and obviously lived through the Great Depression.

She does videos on You Tube and cooks food that got her family through the depression.  She apparently has a cook book that I need to check out, but for now we have watched a few of her videos and she is delightful.  She is in her little kitchen cooking food and telling little stories about her life.  You need to look her up-you will not be disappointed.  It is an amazing way to document family history, and history that can't be rewritten if it is well documented! 

We watched these videos because we (I and Jake agreed) decided to make some meals that American's would have eaten during this dark time in our history.  Jake jumped right in and decided to pick the menu and cook it himself-with a little help and a few lessons learned.  Example-when baking, don't measure your ingredients over the bowl of ingredients.  Do it to the side so you don't have to start over!  Now please don't read this and pick on him about it when you see him.  I am documenting memories and lessons for posterity-not fueling anyone's fire to pick.  He was pretty bummed out to have to start over and that he "wasted so much!".  I reminded him that we are lucky to have an abundance of flour and sugar in our lives and it was no big deal to start over.  In the depression they couldn't have done that!  We are blessed for the time we are born in-even with the trials and tribulations of our days. 

Jake invited Nee (Papa G. couldn't make it) and Aunt Sheila to the meal and we watched part of a documentary about the Great Depression.  We are going to do another recipe for lunch some time next week so Nana and Papa be expecting an invitation to try some old and time tested recipes. 

Today's menu was Wacky cake (a cake that has no eggs or milk in it.  It actually has vinegar in it) and "Poor Man's Meal".  Both are recipes that you may have had before but may not have known that they grew out of a need to fill tummy's during the drepression.

 There was a spill (no one saw when it happened but Jake had something all over his shirt so it happened!) that happened and a shirt was changed.

We had a loooonnnggg school day today because of this little project-but it was worth it!

We started the day with PE at 7:15 this morning

 Jake was working hard and going fast (and I was walking on the treadmill while trying to take the picture...) so it was blurry.  After that we cooled down while I read Jake some facts about the Great Depression and he finished up his art project.

 Then while he was doing math and vocabulary I ran a couple of quick errands and found these on the side of the road-for free!!!  And meet a couple of very sweet ladies in the process.

After the project we got back to the books and did a bunch of science...and tons of other things I can't remember at this moment.  We got done with Jake practicing the guitar at a little before 5.  Some days are long but most days are not.  I will say this: the longer the day the more this Mom needs to type.  It is a releassssssse.  To bad I am too tired to have any words that make much since.  Homeschooling is a blessing even if it is sometimes disguised by grumpy, tired, bouts of chaos!  We are the lucky ones!

Old Fashioned: Part 1.

I feel like there should be meetings for us "old fashioned" folks. We are a dying bred. The more I am in the world (not of the world!) and dealing with the public, the more I realize that I am in the worlds eyes EXTREMELY old fashioned. A fact that makes me smile. In high school I wasn't a rebel at all, but one of my friends mom's called me a "free spirit". One of my aunts used to tell me, when I was little, that if I had been born a generation earlier, I would have been a hippie. I have a testimony that we are born when Heavenly Father needs us on this earth. If I had been born and raised in the 60's would I have been a hippie? Maybe...That could be why I was reserved for this time. :) I am glad I am not a hippie. I am happy to be an EXTREMELY conservative and old fashioned person.

A young women (she is planning on being a teacher. She is a great girl, but she thinks she knows EVERYTHING, and she is EXTREMELY opinionated...in the way that everyone else is an idiot if they think differently than she does...) that I work with asked me if I could ever be a stay at home mom and how she didn't think she could. I listened to her say that she thought she would go crazy-not because of her kids, because there wouldn't be anything to do...?...She has a lot to learn. I then went on to tell her that until this past year, I had in fact been a stay at home mom and that was my profession of choice. We talked about a LOT more than that. I told her that I feel very strongly that the moral decline in this country is directly related to the fact that mothers aren't embracing their divine roles any more. I told her that mothers that choose to work outside the home, not because it is a necessity (because in this world it is for a necessity for a lot of families), but in order to have a higher level of luxury are just being selfish. I told her the world is focused on "things"and "stuff" more than they are on their children and that is the problem with our country. I did this all nicely I promise...She thinks I am old fashioned.

Another co-worker lives with his girlfriend, who is a pastor...?...He had to spend a couple of days in the hospital because for his birthday they went to a club to celebrate and someone slipped something into his drink...This is a very nice guy, who is a Christian...Just not an old fashioned one...

Another girl at work (who is so nice and we are great work friends), is coming out of a rough patch in her relationship. She just found out her fiance of 3 years, who she lives with and is the father of one of her children, has a nine month old baby with a one night stand. She has prayed about it and is turning it over to the Lord and it looks like they are going to be able to work through this hurdle in their relationship. I am so happy that her "modern family" is going to be able to stay together.

These are all really nice people that I enjoy working with. Their lives are normal to the world. I however am old fashioned and feel so blessed for it. My co-workers can't believe Aaron is going to school full time and working 3rd shift. They don't understand (even though I try to tell them) that he feels it is his responsibility to support our family and he takes that responsibility very seriously. They think he is old fashioned too, and they are right. I am thankful to be old fashioned. My struggles and stresses in life are SO much easier to handle than all the worldly ones I could be going through. Thank you Mom and Dad for bringing our family into the Gospel. Thank you for raising me to be "old fashioned". My name is Carrie, and I am PROUD to be old fashioned.