A Woman of All Ages

I Think I'll Go to Boston

2012-07-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I recently went to Boston, Massachusettes for a day trip. Now, there are a lot of wonderful historical sites to see in Boston, so how could I possibly do them all in one day? The Freedom Trail is how!

The Freedom Trail is free, and it has 16 historical sites on it. You start off in Boston Commons (which is like Boston's "Central Park"). You can pay to have a tour guide, or you can tour yourself for free. There is a red line that you follow throughout the city. The last stop is the Bunker Hill Monument.

To see all the famous sites of the Revolutionary War that I have studied in history books was wonderful. I saw the site of the Boston Massacre, The Old North Church (where Paul Revere placed the lanterns to warn about the British), Paul Revere's house, places where the meetings took place that lead to the Boston Tea Party. The oldest remaining pub in America is in Boston, and along the Freedom Trail are many historical pubs. If I go there another day, I'll do the "Pub Crawl," but this time, I just went to one pub for lunch. I had the New England Clam Chowder (since I was in New England).

However, my absolute favorite thing that I saw was the Granary Burial Grounds, in which the most recent grave is from 1826, which means it is an incredibly well preserved historical burying ground. Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried there as well as Benjamin Franklin's family. It was amazing to stand over the corpses of great men.

If you remember in my blog, Get Away! I mentioned that not all trips have to be incredibly expensive. Look for places that have free attractions, such as the Freedom Trail in Boston. St. Louis is another fun city to go to that has tons of free attractions. So, continue to get out and have fun without spending a ton of money!

Massachusettes State House, which is on the freedom trail. Also famously pictured in the movie The Departed

Granary Burying Ground, where the youngest grave is from 1826.

Nesting

2012-07-31T19:29:00.001-07:00

This is the reason I haven't posted a Project of the Day in a long time:

I have been working on this blanket for my son, Peter (due in November) for months. It's one of those things that I pick up from time to time, work on it, then forget about it for a while. However, lately, I've gotten more into working on it, so I hope to finish it soon. In the middle, there will be another blue stripe, and then at the end, there will be another blue corner.

If you would like to see a finished version of my baby blanket, go to this entry to view one that I made for a friend's child. Also click on that link to see how the blanket was made.

If you are pregnant, I would definitely advocate making things for your baby. It will be a special keep-sake for them in the future. I intend to make Peter some baby socks as well. I also feel like knitting Peter his blanket is a bonding time for me and the baby. I listen to music I want him to hear and knit and talk to him. Pregnant women go through a period of "nesting" which is a natural, instincful process of getting ready for the baby. Knitting is a wonderful way to release that "nesting" energy.

My aunt is also talking about us making a quilt for Peter. If you know me, you know quilting is not my thing, unless it's on a potholder, which is small. So we'll see if I end up doing that. :-)

Poor Whites

2012-07-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed my Jacksonian America class this summer. I did my book review for the class on a book called Poor Whites of the Antebellum South. I realized how little people know about poor whites in Antebellum times because history books focus on plantation owners and slaves. So I am posting my entire book review on here (It was only 4 pages), behind the cut. It is important for history not to ignore entire groups of people.

Many historians studying or discussing the Old South focus on plantation owners or slaves. However, not every inhabitant of the Old South fits into those categories. Many other groups of people lived in the Old South, such as free blacks, yeoman farmers and other middle class whites, and poor, landless whites. The book Poor Whites of the Antebellum South by Charles C. Bolton analyzes the effect of poor whites on politics, economics, and society. Poor whites, mostly ignored by historians, played an important role in antebellum life.

Charles C. Bolton wrote Poor Whites of the Antebellum South. He is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Southern Mississippi and also is the Director of Oral History there. Bolton reveals his sources for writing about "poor whites" not only on the bibliography page, but also in the book itself. He says he found historical evidence about poor whites in wealthier Southerner's manuscript collections, state records, newspapers, and in federal census information. The bibliography section iself reveals that some of his sources came from Duke University Manuscript Collections, both Mississippi and North Carolina's departments of archives, libraries and archives located in Mississippi and North Carolina, University of Mississippi Manuscript Collections, and Journals of the Senate and House of Representatives. He used both primary and secondary sources as well as many other sources, such as articles and books. The various sources all seem diverse and reputable. The volume of primary sources he used certainly adds to the accuracy of his research.

Bolton's intent on writing this book is extremely clear. Both in antebellum times and today, there are many negative stereotypes associated with whites who lived in poverty in antebellum times. Bolton reveals a common definition of the term "poor white" to be "A person with little or no property who also has a low social standing because of certain negative attributes: laziness, shiftlessness, and irresponsiblity" (4). According to D.R. Hundley, a southern slaveholder who wrote about classes in 1860, poverty was a result of choices people made, which is a good argument for a someone who is defending slavery to make, because slavery "apologists" did not want anyone to believe the institution of slavery drove nonslaveholders into poverty. Therefore, Bolton says that his intent in writing this book is to make the experiences and lifestyles of landless whites in the antebellum South more clear and to learn how their experiences compared to other white nonslaveholders.

Bolton takes the reader back to Central Piedmont in North Carolina, as well as Northeast Mississippi to reveal how the lives of landless whites mirrored one another in the antebellum South, even though they are different areas. His focus on people of these two specific areas helps paint a portrait of how landless whites lived in these areas. Bolton also touches on the Southwest, where many poor whites migrated in hopes of fulfilling a dream of acquiring land. He also uses specific examples of people who lived this way, such as Pleasant Hunter, John Lewis, and Thomas Varner in order to make the experiences he describes more personable to the reader. Bolton's entire purpose for this book is to challenge and correct the stereotypes associated with landless whites, therefore constantly referring to them as a group detracts from their humanity. Calling them by name puts a face to the experience.
Bolton supports his purpose by discussing how poor whites lived differently than wealthy Southern landowners. Thirty to fifty percent of all southern whites were landless. They rarely held political office, although they did take part in elections. Economically, poor whites depended on mostly temporary employment. They were mostly laborers that gained employment from wealthier whites on an intermittent basis. Some landless whites worked as wage laborers who would take a small amount of pay to aid plantations or farms at the height of the harvest. Many poor whites labored under share-tenancy agreements, in which they paid a portion of their crop as rent.

Tenancy was more profitable than wage-laboring. The average Mississippi tenant in 1860 had a personal property value of $378 and the average wage laborer had a personal property value of $158. However, tenants sometimes had to deal with landlords abusing their power. Sometimes landlords required more than they bargained for by forcing their children to work for free and sometimes sued tenants for not preforming contractual duties. However, sometimes the poor whites would put their own children to work outside the home for need of the extra income. Bolton spends a great deal of time emphasizing how the Southern economy relied upon slavery, which greatly influenced white poverty. Because of slavery, white labor remained only a supplement to slave labor. Slaves and white wage laborers often worked alongside one another in the fields, which gave whites the sharp realization how the enslavement of blacks influenced their poverty. It also showed blacks that the abuse of power by wealthy whites did not just influence themselves, but poor whites as well.

Slavery also rendered the wages white laborers were paid very low. In northeast Mississippi, for instance, the wealthier and more prosperous the landowners and slaveholders became, the more the tenants and landless whites suffered. As slaveholders because more prosperous, they would demand more "respectable" tenants who could give a more substantial rent. Slavery prevented the procurment of regular employment for poor whites, so they had to move from job to job, relying on wealthy whites for tenancy. Because of this system, poor whites rarely changed their economic status. However, some did change their economic status by acquiring land out west.

Slavery was not the only thing to oppress the poor white economically. Bolton notes that the U.S. had a credit-driven economy in the mid-nineteenth century. Both slave labor and a credit driven economy had negative results for poor whites. The credit system in the south favored the wealthier and more reputable. Poor whites did not always meet the criteria and when they did use credit, were subject to the debt obligations of the wealthy. The landless whites moving out west to realize their dream of being landowners often had difficulty buying land because of not meeting credit requirements and having insufficient captial. Mostly, poor whites only used credit when it was necessary for survival. However, often, it was necessary for survival.

Because Bolton is using this book to compare poor whites to other Southern whites, he does note ways that poor whites of the South were similar to wealthy white Southerners. Politically, poor whites usually did not support free or enslaved blacks due to racism, religion, education, or societal norms. Poor whites did, indeed, take part in violence against blacks, which does suggest that the society of white superiority they lived in influenced them. Both land-owning and landless whites usually shared common religious practices, and mostly that was Evangelical Protestantism. Going to church with wealthy landowners often is what helped landless whites procure employment.

The last half of the book is focused on how landless whites viewed and participated in politics of the antebellum period. White nonslaveholders enjoyed going out on election day and exercising their right to vote, one of the few powers they had. They certainly appreciated a good campaign barbecue, political speech, or parade. Most landless whites voted basec on a candidates personality rather than political stance. Although individual poor whites expressed personal resentment toward wealthy slave-owners, a class debate between whites did not occur in a public forum due to most candidates, both Whig and Democrat, owning slaves. During the secession crisis at the beginning of the Civil War, many poor whites were for secession simply for the economic opportunities it might have yielded them, such as looting and plundering. However, there were poor whites did not like the idea of secession.

Whether they supported secession or not, most poor white men would be attracted to the stable employment that came with enlisting in the Confederate Army (paying eleven dollars per month). About three-fourths of Southern males that were military age fought in the Confederate Army and one in three of them died in the war. As horribly as the war affected each American that lived in the mid-nineteenth century, the end of the war did usher in hope for landless, poor whites. The new economic system built after the Civil War gave poor whites new opportunities. The New South had some industrialization that created new labor opportunities for poor whites. Also, jobs in agriculture formerly held by slaves were now open to poor whites. Bolton ends this tale of the poor, landless whites with hope of a brighter future.

Southern Culture of Honor

2012-07-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

I recently reviewed an article for a class on the Southern culture of honor and found it very interesting. Most of you probably saw the Hatfields and McCoys series on the history channel. Many of you are also aware of the male egotism that has been especially notable in the South. I wrote a paper on this subject based on an article, and thought I would share an exerpt with you if you are interested in Southern chivalric society.

"The article "Andrew Jackson's Honor" by Bertram Wyatt-Brown focuses on a side of Andrew Jackson most historians do not focus on, which is the concept of Jackson making decisions in his life based on defending his honor an the honor of those close to him. In the Old South, many Southerners believed themselves to be heirs to the Middle Ages custom of chivalry, which emphasizes honor, societal standing, and allows a man to defend his honor through violence when it is brought into question. This tradition was extremely prevalent throughout the South and brought many Southern men, especially lawyers, to actual duels. Wyatt-Brown offers the notion of honor as the main reason behind many of Jackson's important life and presidential decisions.

Wyatt-Brown notes how easy it is for modern students of Jacksonian history to focus in on Jackson's faults, such as Indian Removal and also when Jackson tried to prohibit the delivery of anti-slavery materials by law. However, he argues that even those things could be representative of Jackson defending his honor. After he took so much land from the Creek Indians, Jackson said it was because the Creeks didn't respect the American's strength since they sided with the British. Jackson also believed in the sovereignty of the American government and true abolitionists could cause a rift, so even that was threatening to his honor.

Wyatt-Brown also discusses how the desire for honor was a very typical reflection of the American South culture. Customs such as dueling were prevalent in this South as a result of this cultural desire for honor and dignity. In the American South, many Southerners felt they were heirs to European chilvalric times such as the Middle Ages. Thus, there was a tradition of code duello in which a man could defend his honor if it was question, even through violent means. Jackson was in several duels in his lifetime.

Wyatt-Brown recalls the time that Jackson killed Charles Dickinson, and notes that Jackson was the only American president to kill a man in a duel. Jackson preferred to handle his conflict with Dickinson over a horse gambling debt (and also insults toward Jackson's wife) in a "gentlemanly" way, by having a "proper" duel. To Jackson, the only thing worse than someone offending his honor was offending the honor of a woman. He staunchly defended the honor of his wife, which was repeatedly questioned since she had married Jackson without having been divorced from her first husband. Jackson thought that it was extremely inappropriate and appalling how men insulted his wife throughout her lifetime and even blamed one of her insulters, Henry Clay, for her death.

However, Wyatt-Brown also points out that many men went into these duels hoping their honor would be restored to them by winning, but much of the time the duels ended up having negative consequences to the victor's reputation. For instance, Wyatt Brown notes that Aaron Burr's career was damaged by killing Alexander Hamilton. Also, Jackson would not have been able to win an elected position in the years following the duel. Not until his victory in the Battle of New Orleans was Jackson's reputation restored."

Ancient Aliens?

2012-06-10T12:05:00.001-07:00

I have been watching the History Channel show, Ancient Aliens and decided I had a lot to say about it, much like I did on my previous entry on the show Doomsday Preppers . Basically, this show is incredibly speculative. Speculation is sometimes fun, but some historians can take it too far and I feel as though that is what this show does. Now, I cannot say 100% for sure that they are wrong, since there is no proof that aliens do or do not exist. But I can say for sure that in all of the scenarios they mention, there are far more likely explanations that aliens.

The ancient Sumerians believed that a superior race came from above from another planet and mixed with Neanderthals and that is how modern humans were formed. The "historians/scientists" on the show believe this formation was from ancient genetic engineering and that the "superior race from above" is an ancient proof of aliens. Now, the latest evolutionary theories suggest that modern humans, or homo sapiens, did not come after Neanderthals, but existed with them simultaneously. The best theory is that both homo sapiens and Neanderthals descended from homo heidelbergensis, so they are actually thought to be "brother" species. There is no proof that homo sapiens were able to interbreed with Neanderthals, however. So before you could prove that we were genetically engineered into one species by aliens, you would first have to prove that homo sapiens could interbreed with Neanderthals, which is impossible to prove.

The show also proposed that the beasts mentioned in ancient mythology such as the Minotaur (half man, half bull), Centaur (half man, half horse), and Cerberus (three headed dog) were all proof of ancient genetic engineering by aliens. There are many reasons hybrids existed in ancient mythology. One reason was that many ancient religions practiced animal worship. Another reason is that many of these creatures were being punished by the gods by being turned into a hideous creature (such as Medusa). Many times, hybrids made a philosophical statement about the inner battle humans have between going on their "animal" or base instincts, and being civilized. Aliens is not the most logical solution that comes to mind.

The show also proposes the aliens caused plagues. The 430 B.C. Plague of Athens, the Justinian Plague, and the Black Plague were all events accompanied by reports of seeing glowing gold shields in the sky. The "historians/scientists" on the show believe that ancient aliens had somehow weaponized airborne diseases that they used to wipe out the human race at certain points. I would point out that many intense diseases, especially some as severe as plagues, are accompanied by hallucinations.

The people on the show also find proof of aliens in plagues by saying that "In all ancient time periods, many humans believed that diseases and bad fortune came from above." Well that doesn't necessarily mean aliens. The ancient Greece called it fate. The ancient Hindus called it karma. Many other pagan religions thought it to be the wrath of the gods. I don't know how you can pull "this means aliens exist" out of that.

I don't think that anyone can say either way for sure that aliens exist or aliens do not exist. However, this show seems to blame everything that ever happened in history on aliens. And while you can't prove aliens do not exist, there are much more likely scenarios other than "the aliens caused this."

Breasts

2012-06-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have decided to write a blog about a subject that should not be a controversial subject, but for some sad reason is: breasts.

The reason breasts are controversial is mostly due to humanity oversexualizing this part of the female anatomy. I hate it when people look down on or talk bad about women who breastfeed in public. I always want to ask them, "Do you eat in public?" Babies are usually in public against their will. Don't punish a child because you're embarrassed by seeing a naked breast. Babies are people that need to eat and the breast is how they do that.

Now many people might agree with me on the point I just mentioned, but they may not agree with me on my next point, because it is a bit extreme to some. I think that if it is socially acceptable for men to have their upper bodies completely exposed, it should be the same for women too. Why are we covered just for having a lot more fat and tissue there?  Unfortunately, a lot of it is due to men, who because they are sexually attracted to women, are the ones unnecessarily oversexualizing breasts. Therefore, breasts make men think of sex instead of nurturing. Therefore breasts must be covered, I suppose. I don't agree with that

Now, in regard to bras:  As much as I hate wearing them myself, I recognize there are benefits to them.  Bras keep your breasts stationary when you are moving, which prevents chest pain and reduces ligament tears in your breasts which can make them sag. Bras also help your breasts look more aesthetically appealing. I like both of those benefits of wearing bras, but let me tell you, I hate wearing bras. To me, there is no such thing as a comfortable bra. I really don't like how it's not socially acceptable to go bra less. If I am modestly dressed, it should be no one's business what is under my clothes.

This is one of those subjects that I would like to hear other people's opinions on. I would love to hear what others think, even if they disagree with me.

Love Being a Woman

2012-06-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely a huge, major pet peeve to me when women diss other women just for being women. You know what I mean; when you hear girls or women saying "I prefer to hang out with guys because women have way too much drama" or worse "Women are just so bitchy; guys are chill." This grates on my nerves so bad.

Offensive generalizations aside, most people you meet have the capacity to do good and the capacity to do bad. Therefore, men are equally prone to having undesirable characteristics. I could now use examples by naming characteristics men stereotypically have, but I am under the impression that individuals are different from one another and am not comfortable with profiling, stereotyping or generalizing all men into one sweeping, ignorant assumption.

The most annoying part of women making these generalizations about one another is that I sense they are doing it to seem "cooler." Seriously. Like their mind-set is that, "I will seem more appealing to men if they believe I'm not like the stereotype of the way most people perceive women to be. Therefore, if I let men know I am more like them, they will think I'm cool." Whenever I hear women calling their own gender "bitches" or "dramatic" what I am hearing is "I'm insecure."

It's wrong to generalize a large group of people. That is why racism is wrong. That is why sexism is wrong. Just because you are dissing your own sex doesn't mean that makes it okay.

Furthermore, I think it is important to love yourself. If you are a man, I'm sure there are many things you love about being a man such as not bleeding every month, not having to bear children, having a higher income potential. I hope that men will love themselves just as well. But guys, being a woman is pretty awesome too and I'm really happy I was born one. Women get much MUCH more freedom of dress. Women can dress in pretty much anything and it will be socially acceptable (as long as it covers everything). Men have very limited wardrobe options. For women, it is socially acceptable to work a full time job, or stay at home, whereas men have much higher expectations to be the primary break-winner, and while some men can choose to stay at home it is not the social norm.

My favorite thing about being a woman is feeling my unborn baby moving inside me. Nothing can match that.

I'm sure there are things you love about yourself. Take pride in those things. You don't have to hurt others or tear others down in order to feel better about yourself. You can feel better about yourself by being confident in who you are.

I'm not going to be able to post a Project of the Day for a while, because I'm working on an extended project, making a blanket for my son, Peter who will be arriving in November. I am knitting this blanket, much like one I posted about a few entries ago that I made for a friend. I apologize for the lack of a project of the day for a while.

Get Away!

2012-04-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

Everyone is always commenting on how much I travel. Yes, I have gone on some pretty big trips in the past couple years, such as England, France, and a few to Florida, but inbetween the big trips, I'm still traveling, going on little weekend get-aways.

This type of travel is great for busy couples. It's a wonderful way to spend time together and maintain closeness inbetween the hecticness of normal life.

This weekend, my husband and I went to San Damiano in southern Illinois. It is a beautiful resort in the woods along the Ohio River. All the cabins have a view of the Ohio River, and it has beautiful walkways and is located very close to Garden of the Gods, where we went hiking. Nature get-aways are very nice to just relax and get away from it all. I love seeing new places and exploring, but those type of vacations, while awesome, can be very hectic and busy and you don't really feel rested afterwards. I wanted a trip where we could relax (like in the hot tub in our cabin) and be away from everyone and get away from our crazy lives.

These weekend get-aways can also be very inexpensive, especially nature-type trips. For instance, in the past few yeras, we have gone on several weekend trips like Red River Gorge, Cumberland Falls and Natural Bridge. Now, we did stay in a hotel, which can add expense, but if you enjoy camping, these trips can be under $50, including meals. Land Between the Lakes where I used to work also has many things to see for a good weekend trip.

You can also make these city weekend trips or even day trips. We have taken weekend trips to Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnatti, OH, Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN, and St. Louis, MO. We visited historical places in these cities, cool restaurants, and other tourist attractions. I named these cities because these are the bigger cities surrounding my state. You may want to do this with cities surrounding your area.

Basically, what I'm saying is that travel does not have to be a luxury for people with a lot of money. It can be very easily accessible to you if you plan it correctly. You can enjoy travel as a hobby and be seen as someone that travels quite a bit without spending that much money. Do you have two free days this month? Do it!

My Project of the Day is in honor of last sunday being Easter. I made Cadbury Egg Cupcakes. Basically, it is just like making normal cupcakes, except with putting a frozen Cadbury Egg in the middle. You can use mini Cadbury Eggs for the normal sized ones. My biggest tip would be to make sure the Cadbury Eggs have been frozen for at least one day. I didn't freeze mine long enough. You could still see them in the middle, but it would be better to keep them frozen longer. I also put a mini-egg on top for decoration (and yumminess!). So go to the clearance section of your grocery store and stock up on these limited-time candies to make some tasty cupcakes!

Love One Another

2012-03-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Women have a difficult time releasing their desire for control at times. Many women fear if they let go of their need to control a situation, their worst fears will come true, especially when it comes to their relationship with their husbands/boyfriends. However, by tightening the grip you have on the situation, you are only making your partner want to squeeze out and get as far away as possible from you. This goes for men as well as women. It is extremely difficult, but we need to learn to let go. The best way for a relationship or marriage to succeed is by only having two things: love and respect. All the other things a marriage needs such as loyalty, honesty, compassion, care, come with loving and respecting one another. The number one thing to remember if you fear letting go is that if you give your partner the freedom to make their own decisions, they will see your efforts, and in turn respect you more. If they don’t, you will finally be able to see what the real problems are in your relationship and hopefully begin to work them out.

For example: Let’s say we have a wife who is trying to prevent her husband from leaving the house for fear he is cheating on her. She tries to say it is her right to prevent him from leaving the house because he is not doing the right thing. This does not matter. The first thing she needs to do is recognize it is his right to leave the house and go out whenever he wants. He is an adult capable of making his own decisions. If he does happen to go to bars until 4 in the morning and cheat on her, then that is the problem you have to deal with by making sure to let them know this is not okay, and unacceptable behavior. But you can’t try to control or smother a partner from making their own decisions. This is the kind of problem that comes from mistrust in a relationship. The point is that putting your trust in someone does make them want to please you. If she had instead said, “Have fun with your friends” when he left instead of trying to prevent him from leaving, he would probably want to live up to her expectations. Not only that, but he may also seek to live up to her preferred wishes, like that he shouldn’t go out for very long and not to do anything bad and come home at a decent time.

If you want to control the situation, you are saying you don’t trust your partner. If you don’t trust your partner, you don’t want to add problems to your relationship by smothering them. If you don’t trust your partner because they are doing something bad, you REALLY don’t want to add trouble to your relationship by smothering them. Deal with the real issue you are facing instead of trying to control it yourself. You can’t fix someone else. They have to fix themselves, and maybe they would want to if you let go.

When I try to control a situation, I personally am usually trying to fix a problem that I don’t want to talk about. I’m trying to see if I can get away with fixing the problem by myself without discussing it with my partner. This has never worked out for me. Also, it is not respectful or loving. Your partner may not be respectful or loving to you with their actions, but you will only make things worse by behaving the same way, getting angry, throwing insults, or punishing them. Why try to fix a problem by making it worse? It keeps on coming back to love and respect.

This is not the “end all” to all problems. Sometimes, you love, respect, give your partner all the freedom they need, and they still break your trust, hurt you, or disrespect you. That is when things really get tough. You may seek counseling at this point, or ultimately an end. But then, you may also just keep loving and trying. Don’t give up without a fight. If you are a Christian, I encourage you to go here to remind yourself of what the Bible says about how we should treat each other in a marriage. Many other religions have similar standards and they also all come down to loving and respecting.

I have gotten a bit behind on my projects, since I am working on so many at once. However, that’s a good thing because it’s something I enjoy doing. I am currently working on probably the simplest thing you’ll ever learn to knit: a scarf. Cast on around 15 stitches, but really however many you want for desired width. Knit back and forth til you reach a desired length. I am switching colors along the way. Here is one I made for a friend in December (since my current one is not finished). She’s also wearing a hat I made (which is a bit more complicated, so I’ll focus on the scarf today)..

"Doomsday Preppers"

2012-02-25T20:09:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if any of you have seen the show “Doomsday Preppers” on the History Channel, but it is pretty ridiculous. As described in the show’s title, this show is about people preparing for an apocalypse. Before watching this show, I assumed that it was people preparing for 2012 doomsday type stuff. However, the people on this show all have different theories about how the world is going to end and they are all preparing for something strangely specific such as the poles shifting, an oil crisis, a financial crisis. Someone even said they were preparing for a power outage (and I was like, “Really?” You think a power outage is the end of the world?).

If I believed the world was going to end, I would not want to spend the last moments of my life obsessively preparing for an event that may or may not occur. I feel sorry for these people because they are wasting all of their time and days with what sounds more like OCD than preparations.

However, there is something to be said for having a “just in case” plan. I would certainly not recommend doing what they do on that show. But you can live a normal life and at the same time still be prepared for an emergency. Here are a few ways:

1.    Know how to hunt. The best way to survive would be to live in an area where you can already hunt on your own property. That way, you wouldn’t have to uproot yourself in case of an emergency.

2.    Know how to garden. Once again, the best thing to do would be to already have a garden before an incident happens. This also requires living somewhere where you can have a garden.

3.    Have a heat source/cooking source that does not require electricity. Whenever I buy a house, I intend to have a wood-burning stove in it. However, this could be as simple as having a grill in your backyard or a Dutch oven. You need to know how to prepare food without electricity.

4.    Know how to preserve food. Try to learn and practice canning. Canning would be your best bet for a lot of stuff. Collect mason jars, look up how to can and practice. Know how to salt meat. Also read up on burying for preservation, or other methods such as drying.

5.    Any one of us could stop buying clothes right now and still have enough clothing to last the rest of our lives, but it may be helpful to learn how to mend clothes by hand sewing so that the clothes you already have will last.

6.    Be well educated in basic first aid.

7.    Make sure you have a self-defense plan for intruders, such as the guns you already have for hunting. ;)

8.    Hope to my goodness that the apocalypse you are preparing for isn’t a nuclear disaster, in which case, even if you survive, you will not be able to do any of the above.

For the project of the day, I am working a winter ear-muff headband. It simultaneously can look cute and keep your ears warm in winter. For all one color, just cast on approximately 10-13 stitches (depending on how wide you want it). I am alternating colors on mine. Keep knitting back and forth until it measures the right length around your head. Some knitters measure there heads first, but I’m more or less a “see how it goes” type knitter. Cast off when it is the right length, then darn the ends together with matching yarn.

I am not done yet, but here are the beginnings of my headband.

A Personal Decision

2012-02-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

The decision to either stay home or put your children in childcare and go to work after having a baby (or a few) is a personal decision a couple must decide on themselves. But if you are struggling with this decision, let me help you out on the benefits and disadvantages or each decision.

Going to Work:

First of all, if you don't mind going to work, you have to do some calculations first. Will the money you make be profitable to you after you deduct the cost of childcare? That is the #1 question to ask yourself before going to work.

In the case that going to work is profitable to you, there are some benefits. Obviously, one of the benefits is having extra money of your own without having to constantly as your husband for some. The biggest benefit is the feeling of having your own life and accomplishments. Stay at home moms can at times feel as though even though they are working very hard, they have no appreciation from others or personal accomplishments of their own. Working can restore that feeling that you have your own life. A huge disadvantage associated with working is that it can actually feel like you are living two full time lives, or that you are working two full time jobs instead of one.

Childcare can be very beneficial for children. Children learn social skills very early and receive an education at this crucial time when their brains are developing most. Children who wait to even go to preschool later (at age 3 or 4) or kindergarten have a much more difficult time in school. As a former childcare worker, I can tell the children who are just beginning preschool and the ones that have been in it since a baby or toddler. They end up doing very well in school.

Staying Home:

Staying at home has its advantages, where you simply choose to or realize working will not be profitable enough to make it worth it. The biggest benefit with this is that you know that your children are in excellent care in your own arms and not in the arms of strangers you only sort of know. You get to spend quality time with your children. You may not even worry about your child getting a good education, because you are their personal teacher and tutor. Children of stay at home moms have the potential of doing excellent in school as long as the stay at home mom is educating them in the home. Also, as a stay at home mom, you have more time to keep your home in order. Working moms may have chaotic, messy homes, and if they don't, it is probably because they are sacrificing sleep to take care of it.

There are disadvantages such as having to rely on your husband's money and not your own. As I mentioned earlier, some stay at home moms can feel like they don't have a life of their own. But truly, many stay at home moms feel lucky that they can be with their children when their children need them.
Please comment and let me know what decision you have made regarding this, and how your decision is important to you. My mom was at times a stay at home mom and at times a working mom. At times, she did both and worked from home. I hope to stay at home, but also to work on the side whenever I become a mom.

For my project of the day, I have made soap! This soap is white glycerin based with red dye, and cinnamon scent. Glycerin is very good for your skin, and the dyes I use are safe for the skin too.

Here is my soap in the mold after melting it down and mixing in the ingredients. It is hardening.

Here is my finished soap. Smells awesome.

Bi-lingual Education Advocacy

2012-02-17T09:21:00.005-08:00

Usually, I discuss things vaguely having to do with women and history. But in actuality, I simply write what I am passionate about. Truly, I will not digress from my main topic of writing on this blog very much, but I have a lot to say about the following subject

I would love for you to post your opinion on this issue. I have always thought it was sad that several of my students are fluent in both Spanish and English, but since they have been in an American school since kindergarten, have only learned to read and write in English. Many of my fluent Spanish speakers that speak Spanish in the home cannot read or write in Spanish at all. The phonics are different, and the alphabet is different. Recently, several parents have expressed this as a lament, that their children cannot read and write in their native language.

Let me just say that I realize the parents came to America voluntarily and are in our school systems. But since coming to America, they have to work hard to make living and may not have the education or resources to teach their children Spanish at home. Their children are not the ones that made the choice to come here, but they are, and because of a language barrier are falling behind.
If you were a parent with your children in another country, would you not want them to learn your own native language?

There is an elementary school in Lexington, KY that has bilingual education for American children. Half of their day is taught in English and half in Spanish. This is Maxwell Elementary, close to UK's campus in Lexington. This seems like a great idea to me. I know it will never happen anywhere in my school system, but something that may be more realistic that might help these students are perhaps tutoring sessions to learn to read and write in Spanish after school. Or perhaps Spanish could be one of the "Specials" schools offer, similar to Music and Art.

I've been considering starting a Spanish Club to help the children learn Spanish. But the unfortunate thing is that I can only influence my own school system. I wish other school systems would acknowledge this issue better. I would also highly recommend Rosetta Stone. I use it in the classroom for kids trying to learn English, but it also helps when you're learning any language.

This is just something I'm wondering about and was thinking maybe I could get your opinion on the issue. Being a bilingual person can yield many opportunities later on, especially with jobs, but if a student can't read or write in their native language, what good does it do them?
I haven't posted in about a week, because I have been working on putting together my webpage for the schools system in which I work. So today, I do not have a project of the day, because my this week's project has been this:

Here is My Professional Webpage

Just scroll down to view what I have put on the school website. It is not much, just basically an overview for parents to see exactly how I'm helping their children in the public schools.

If you have further interest in what I do in public schools, here is my school profile.

Before I die....

2012-02-06T19:09:00.003-08:00

More and more, you hear people talking about what is on their "bucket list." You hear it more in my generation, ironically enough. The Baby Boomer generation, while ambitious, has a different perception of success more related to possessions than experiences. Generation X is a bit more practical, focusing on having enough, good investments, and a safety net for hard times. I am part of Generation Y. We were brought up my dreams, imagination, fiction, and Disney. We were told we could be whatever we wanted to be. Put into practice, fantasy crumbles in the real world...but not entirely. We can still pocket amazing experiences that makes us feel like the dream can be reality.

Some people have many things in common on their bucket list, such as marriage, children, world travel, owning a dream house, etc. These goals are no different than our previous generations. My generation has personalized their lists a bit more. Go to bucketlist.org/featured and you will read goals that inspire you, and some that you think are strange such as:Be an extra in a movie, milk a cow, visit the Louvre, plant a tree, see a Cirque de Soleil show, drink absinthe, fly first class, visit every continent, visit New York City at Christmas time!, experience an earthquake, eat sushi in Japan, go snorkeling, be part of a Flash Mob, rescue a dog/cat from animal shelter, visit San Fransico, go Scuba Diving, pay for a strangers groceries, cross the intersection at Abbey Road, nnuggle in a hammock, see the Grand Canyon, see a Broadway musical, go whale watching, capture lightning in a photograph, spend the night in an underwater hotel, be kissed on top of a ferris wheel.

I have a lengthy bucket list. Many things on it, I have already done. I have traveled to 5 countries outside the U.S. I've been on a cruise. I've seen most states (I'd like to see the rest). I've been skydiving. I had my dream wedding. I am learning to play the violin. I've had my dream jobs (education, living history museum, and now translation). But I still have so much left to do. The things I lack, however, don't bother me. Because I know I'm doing all I can to make the most of my life *right now.* I am incredibly happy. If I died now, I'd feel okay that I lived a wonderful life. If I continue to live, I will feel elated to get to spend more time on this earth and have even more wonderful experiences.

So what is the first step? Make a list. Second step? Don't focus on what you lack. Focus on what you've acheived. Every day you get to live, be happy you have another chance to mark somethiing off the list, but don't let it bother you if you haven't yet. Be happy here and now.Comment to tell me a few things on your bucket list.

Last week, I went to Louisville to celebrate my aunt's and my uncle's birthdays, and I made them some coasters! That is the Project of the Day. If you read a few entries ago and saw the baby blanket, it's made just like that, only wayyyyyyyyyy smaller. If you already knit, then just cast on 4, increase to 23, then decrease back down to 4. If you are more of a beginner than that, or need more instructions, comment and I'll elaborate.

My coasters

Playing Joan Rivers with History

2012-01-31T13:00:00.002-08:00

Yes, the role of “Joan Rivers” will be played by me today. I am going to talk about different fashion for women over the centuries, in an “E Network” kind of way. :D

The awards go to:

Worst Dressed: Women in the 1980’s and aristocratic women in the 1700’s. I don’t have to explain the 80’s to you, because most of you know why that is. But let’s talk about 1700’s fashion (European/American aristocracy). The corset has come along, but for some reason, women are wearing it on the outside of their clothes. White, powdered wigs are enjoyed as well. Women would actually cut their hair off and wear these on a daily basis. They not only powdered their wigs, but also their faces with a washed out, chalk white powder. Don't forget the frilly sleeves! Also, it seems like it was popular to make it look like you have “box hips.” Instead of the beautiful southern belle hoop skirt to accentuate your hips that will come later, or accentuating your natural hips like pencil skirts of the 1940’s, 1700’s “Georgian” women make their dresses stick out to either side, creating a “box hip” look. Real flattering….

Most Practical/Comfortable Dress: People these days talk about “practical and comfortable” dress in the form of jeans and a t-shirt, but I disagree. I think jeans are pretty far from comfortable (what’s comfortable about stiff pants that make your thighs look huge?). If you want to talk about real comfort and practicality, look no further than Biblical times (specifically Jesus times). Men and women wore robes. Do you have to wash your hair? No, just wear a veil. Now, fashionably speaking, these look like giant mumu’s to us, but still, you can’t argue that mumu’s are comfortable. Some would have been made of wool, which isn’t so comfortable, especially in the deserts, but I’m speaking of the ones NOT made of wool. If you want to get this look, but in a much prettier way, look to general traditional Indian dress. I mean the country,

India

. Women wear/wore robes and veils, but much more colorful, and the robes are a tighter fit, decorated with jewelry.

Most Scantily Clad: Believe it or not, the answer to that question is not in the past 40 years, although, there have been some scantily clad…many in fact….it is not our “in general, acceptable, everyday fashion.” I also exclude tribal fashion, because it does not count under “widely and popularly worn.” So the winner for most scantily clad goes to ancient Egypt. Sleeveless tops, dresses that go down to your feet, and nothing under it. Sounds like I’m describing lingerie. To make it more enticing...it was popular for a while for women to wear transparent linen.

Most Modest: To go from who wore the least to who wore the most, the award for most modest goes to Victorian women. Queen Victoria herself set a very modest fashion for the 19^th century. No low-cut tops or short dresses in this time period. We have long-sleeved dresses, cinched slightly at waist, and dresses flowing to the ground, puffed out by layers of petticoats (and at times in the 19^th century a hoop skirt or a bustle). Some of you may argue that 17^th century (1600’s) fashion was more modest because you’ve seen a picture of Queen Elizabeth where she has a frilly turtle-neck, which would be more modest. This was not the fashion of all, just the queen.

Best Fashion of Now Times: I don’t hate everything that comes out in the modern age (although I feel like fashion has become rather careless since the 1960’s, and also boring and ugly). It’s funny, even though I said I hated the 1980’s (and yes, most of it was a terrible time for fashion) my favorite modern fashion came out of it. It is a fashion that is popular now, once again. This is the big shirts (pretty ones) with tights underneath it, cinched at the waist with a belt. This look can be done with flat shoes, but I think it looks better with heels. It is a flattering look to women was long as the big shirt (or better, short dress) covers you past the butt a little. As long as it does that, it is wonderful to flatter your waist, your upper body, and your legs, as well as accentuating curves.

Best Dressed: Fashion is all about opinion, so in my opinion, the best time for fashion was the 1950’s. 1.) You get to wear short sleeves, and even sleeveless for once. 2.) Your dresses and skirts don’t need to go floor-length; they can go to the knees. 3.) These are the most flattering to a woman’s figure because typical dresses are cinched at the waist, then flow out to the knees. 4.) Hairstyles and make-up are meticulously done, but not overdone. 5.) The whole look is pulled together with elegant, understated pearls, which were very popular. The downside of this fashion would be that you still wear petticoats underneath, but I don’t think it’s as big of a deal when they are knee-length (they don’t get as hot).

1950's style from etsy.com

"Runners Up" that are Well Dressed: Even though I’m not a modern historian in the least, I prefer 1900-1950’s dress the most. In the 1900-1920’s, we have some Victorian leftovers, but the fashion of this age mostly goes toward a more fitted look. Your skirts still go to the floor, but they are flowy with less layers underneath and more fitted to your body. Short sleeves become more popular and acceptable. In the 20’s, you can dress in skimpier outfits and cut your hair off and look absolutely adorable. The 30’s and 40’s are about jackets with big buttons to the side and knee-length skirts with a mere slip underneath, however very dark and neutral colors. The pencil skirt starts to come along in this period, although many women still wear long skirts. Another separate period I like is the 1500’s nobility. You get the big dresses, but you can also enjoy low necklines, and tighter tops, so your natural figure is still in view. Also, everyone loves the southern belle look of the late 1850’s, early 1860’s.

Today's Project of the Day is another very simple one for everyone. It's what's for dinner! :D Something very simple for busy moms or generally busy women (like me). If you want something really fast and easy that is also delicious, try cooking rice, and separately cooking a can of vegetable soup, then pouring the vegetable soup over the rice. It's very yummy, filling, and easy.

Progresso Vegetable Soup over rice

"You lonelily let him push under your bones...."

2012-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have had my own issues with temptation. I've been faced with it in the form of real offers from men I once loved. In my short marriage, I had to draw clear lines early on. The first thing I turned to to figure out where my lines should be was google (lol). I read experiences ranging from "open marriages" to "just being tempted is a sin," and everything inbetween. The best source I have found on this issue is a blog I found http://star-crossed-hearts.blogspot.com/ . This is a normal, middle-class Christian woman, wife, and mother discussing her story of having an "affair of the heart" and how it effected her marriage, how she dealt with it, and what she learned from it. I highly recommend reading it.

Women tend to commit "affairs of the heart" more than men. Yes, I realize it takes two, let me rephrase that. Married women tend to commit "affairs of the heart" more than married men; they are commiting those affairs typically with unmarried men. Men have more actual physical affairs that involve physical/sexual transgressions. No, I'm not going to talk at length over which one is better or worse. I will say that a marriage can with greater ease recover from a sexual affair than it can when a spouse has fallen in love with someone outside the marriage.

I don't know if this is true or not but I've heard that Johnny Depp once said, "If you are in love with two people at the same time, go with the second. Cause you wouldn't have fallen for them if you still loved the first one." I love Johnny Depp, but I disagree with that sentiment. You can truly and deeply love lots of people at once. You can love them for different reasons and they may be different people, but you can love two people at once. Your love may be true, but that doesn't make it right.

The number one reason these affairs occur, especially in women is a need for emotional validation. When you have a bad day, your husband is working, or you feel neglected by him, it feels nice for that other guy to tell you how beautiful you are and how much they want you. After being married, you don't get to experience that "crush" feeling so much and it feels nice.

So you ask yourself "What is cheating?" You say, "Flirting isn't cheating; giving someone a compliment isn't cheating." Don't try to skirt the line to see how close you can come to cheating without it actually happening. Just think, "Would my partner be upset if he/she knew I was doing this?" That is the question to ask to figure out if what you are doing is right or wrong. Sure, that text telling your ex-boyfriend how good he looks and how much you miss him is not cheating. But would your husband be upset if he knew you said that? I can tell you what your husband would be thinking. Things like, "She never says that to me" or "I remember when she used to say those things about me." It's things like that that lower their self worth and make them trust you less.

In short, my line is set. Being tempted is not sinful, but giving in to it is. If it hurts my husband, it's not worth it, not matter what "exciting" feeling it may give me for five seconds. This guy may be a fun crush, but it's my husband I love.

If you don't sew or knit, but you want to make one of my projects of the day, I have an easier one tonight. It is a "homemade" candle. I say homemade, because it is made at home, but from other candles. You can melt down candles you already have or buy. Melt these with caution in their containers, in a pan on the stove, on medium heat. Pick out the wick and washer with tweezers or tongs. Pour melted candle(s) into a new glass container with a homemade wick. I used a washer and yarn (it burns faster than store bought candles, but it's homemade). The way you can get creative with this is by combining colors or adding ingredients. I had a vanilla candle melting and I added cinnamon to it to make it a cinnamon vanilla candle. If you want a "rainbow" candle, you can pour in a little of one color, wait until that hardens, then pour on the next color, et cetera. Here is one I made recently:

My "Homemade" Candle (Cinnamon Vanilla)

I'm a sucker for song lyrics, so here is a pretty good song, albeit a sad one, about a relationship ruined by affairs. Just click the cut to.....

I gave me away
I could have knocked off the evening
But I lonelily landed my wants in her hands
In a way I felt you were leaving me
I was sure I wouldn't find you at home
And you let me down
You could have knocked off the evening
But you lonelily let him push under your bone
You let me down
It's no use deceiving
Neither of us wanna be alone

You're coming home, you're coming home

I gave me away
I could have knocked off the evening
But I was lonelily looking for someone to hold
In a way I lost all I believed in
And I never found myself so alone
And you let me down
You could've called if you'd needed
But you lonelily got yourself locked in instead
And you let me down
It's one thing being cheated
But you took him all the way through your bed

And now you're coming home
And I'm trying to forgive
You're coming home
And I'm trying to forget
You're coming home
And I'm trying to move on
You're coming home
And you haven't called yet

You're coming home
And I'm trying to forgive
You're coming home
I'm just trying to forget
You're coming home
I'm trying to move on
You're coming home
But you haven't called
You're coming home

You're coming home, you're coming home

I gave me away
I could have knocked off the evening
But I lonelily loomed her into my bone
You let me down
There's no use deceiving
Neither of us wanna be alone

Real jobs for real moms...

2012-01-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

Want to be a stay at home mom? Are you already? Perhaps you're a student? Or is your dream job just to work from home? Well, I would implore you NOT to type into google "work from home jobs" because you are sure to be overwhelmed with spam. None of those links are honest. Most of them require an "investment" (which means they are gonna take your money and you won't get anything out of it).

However, there are REAL work online jobs. I'm not talking about software developer, although if you are one, or want to be, that is a real online job that is quite lucrative. I am talking about average women with average skills that maybe want to make a little extra money while they raise the kids or go to school full time.

1.) Professor jobs. Yes, these will require a Master's degree. Not an MBA, but an M.A. or M.S. in your respective field. If you already have a Master's degree or are seeking one out right now, this will be a good choice. There are full time professor jobs online, and there are part-time/adjunct ones. The best place to look for these is http://www.higheredjobs.com/ and click on "online/remote."

2.) Other university jobs for those of us who do not have an M.A. Once again, on http://www.higheredjobs.com/, they have online university positions other than teaching positions such as clerical, administrative, and technology opportunities. It is listed under the search criteria as "remote/online," so just click on that.

3.) Tutoring positions. Now there are some scams associated with some of these, so once again, do not type in "work from home tutoring jobs" into google. However, there are some good ones. The best one by far is http://www.smarthinking.com/ . Tutors can work anywhere from 8-19 hours per week and you get a regular, bi-weekly pay check like a normal job. However, since they a reputable site, they do expect their tutors to be reputable, so bachelors is preferred. The other one that is pretty good is http://www.tutor.com/. On this one, you are paid monthly, and can get as much as 800-1600 a month if you are very active, but that would be the maximum. I would still recommend Smarthinking over this one, though.

4.) Call center jobs. Don't just google this one, because there are alleged "work from home call center jobs" that are scams. Go through a respectable company like Alpine Access (http://www.alpineaccess.com/en/apply/). If you have at least one year experience in customer service, a computer with internet, and a landline telephone, you qualify for this full time work from home opportunity with benefits.

5.) Finally, if you would just like to see what random companies may be hiring someone to work online, go to http://www.simplyhired.com/ and type in "telecommute" into the "keywords" section and press search. Don't type a location. Just "telecommute" in keywords. Then you will see many legitimate work online jobs. Currently, the results reveal companies hiring for software developers, program managers, graphic designers, pricing analysts and customer service.

The number one thing I can say is NEVER TYPE IN "WORK FROM HOME JOBS" unless you are just really wanting to be scammed. If you aren't satisfied with my recommendations, and really want to google search, please type in "telecommute" to get more reputable results.

My Project of the Day is a baby blanket! It is very easy if you are already a knitter. Just cast on 4 stiches and increase to 120 stitches, then decrease back down to 4 and cast off. I made one for my friend's new born baby for Christmas and I am actually working on making another one right now.

The baby blanket I made Gabriel

Gabriel and his new blanket

Dating, sex, and/or marriage throughout the years...

2012-01-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have a long and informative entry today, so the Project of the Day will come first, then please go on and read about my overview of human sexuality!

Project of the Day
For the project of the day today, I have been working on this yellow skirt. It is made very simply. I actually made one of these for a friend for Christmas, so I'll post the picture of that one since the yellow one I'm working on is not done yet.

The skirt above and the one I'm working on now are both made by hand. I measured my waist (27 inches). If I wanted a figure fitting skirt, I would only add a few inches to that. However, I want a full skirt, that I might could fit slips or petticoats under that has some natural flow to it, so I multiplied 27x2 for the width. For the length, I measured down past my knee (22 inches). So I cut material 54 by 22. I hemmed the bottom by hand. I folded the top over to leave room to insert a draw string and sewed that down. Make sure you leave room for a draw string to go between. Then I turned it around to where the "wrong side" or underneath side of skirt and sewed the length together by hand. Lastly, I turned it back out to the "right side" and inserted the draw string (some pretty, machine washable ribbon) with a crochet hook. The picture above is the first skirt I did. :D

There have been entire books written on the subject of human sexuality and the history of marriage and courting. So how can I fit it into one blog for the average woman to have a working understanding of it? Watch me. I will include brief descriptions of the history of marriage, courting, and sexuality since ancient times. I have researched this subject for years, so I have a basic knowledge of this subject enough to write in my own words from my memory. I think it's important for people to have at least a basic knowledge of this. Especially, it's important to remember that our way is not always the best way.

For instance, in our culture, you can choose who you want to be with. However, we have a 50% divorce rate, and many people choose how they want to be with by being promiscuous, which leads to unwanted emotional complications. In a culture with arranged marriages, the divorce rate is 2%. Yes, there are reasons for this. The point is, let's not think about which is better and which is worse, but think about the fact that even though everyone does it differently, the results are still the same: Man, woman, sex, babies. Not in that order always....and sometimes there were two men or two women, and much of the time 15 children per family. :D

If you have anything to add on the subject, or if you feel I've left something important out, please comment

(Forgive the brevity of this overview....this is a blog, not a textbook) So please click on the cut to...

*deep breath*

Ancient India has allegedly been called the first civilization to have "sex education." They had thorough instructions from art and the kama sutra to teach couples how to make the best of their love making. However, Indea was actually pretty conservative in this regard, considering sex a duty and private thing between a married couple. Polygamy was, however, acceptable. This view was actually shared by the Isrealites of ancient times. The Isrealites viewed sex as an act of honoring God (being fruitful and multiplying), therefore it was a duty. Polygamy was also acceptable, although not as common as the Bible would lead you to believe. In most civilizations were polygamy is acceptable, it is only common among the wealthy.

Mesopotamia, on the other hand, was a sexually open society. They did have boundaries to their sexual openness. For example, incest was not okay to them. But they did practice both heterosexuality and homosexuality, believing both to be socially acceptable. Another somewhat sexually open ancient civilization was ancient Greece. Greeks valued the beauty of the male figure as the preferable body between the sexes. Young men were considered to be the most beautiful. In marriage, women were for the bearing of children, and wives were often depicted in mythology as angry and vengeful. The only women who changed their role in ancient Greece were courtesans (well-educated, well taken care of prostitutes to wealthy men). It was not uncommon for men to seek companionship in these courtesans, as well as males and older boys. These boys would be their confidants, someone they could talk to while also quietly sexually involved with. The same thing occurred in Rome, only with more of both sexes, women and men, and less privately (meaning they were more open about it and that it was more socially acceptable).

China in ancient times and in current times emphasises conservative sexual values, such as virginity in women before marriage and at least the appearance of fidelity in men during marriage. Chinese government has always saught to control human behavior.

In New Testament times, couples were betrothed at a young age and this betrothal was serious enough to be somewhere inbetween engagement and marriage. For example, when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he was going to quietly divorce her...yet they were described as being betrothed, not married. So this betrothal was serious enough to require a formal divorce to get out of it.

I've already mentioned Rome was a sexually open society, and it continued to be that way until Christianity. In general, Christians view sex as both a duty and a gift within marriage. However, early Christians definitely struggled with this moderate view of sex. Many monastics were incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that sex was necessary for survival. St. Augustine described it as a "necessary evil." And these were the men teaching the people about the word. This doesn't mean people weren't still promiscuous...it just means that it wasn't socially or culturally acceptable to be.

As the centuries went on, marriages did become less arranged. I say "less" because they still were mostly arranged, but not as previous time periods. Dad still had the final say much of the time regarding who you would marry. Truly, the choice here was between the man who wants to marry you and your father. However, "following you heart" has never gone out of style. You can tell by the writiings of Shakespeare and many other beautiful authors and poets that love always was and will always be a part of marriage and sex.
In the 19th century, the man would come to your house to ask your father if he could court you and after a courting period (that was supervised entirely by Dad and/or Mom) you would be married. Marriages could be done at home by saying your vows to each other with you family as witnesses, or in a church. Children that came out of home marriages would be legitimate, meaning a couple simply saying their vows to each other in their parlor was a legitimate marriage.

The birth of modern courtship began slowly around the turn of the 20th century, and was mostly socially acceptable by the 1920's. The main cause of modern dating has been schools. In America before the 20th century, schools were a place where you got what is now equivalent to a 3rd grade education unless you're wealthy or in other rare instances. So even though people in the 1920's were dating to choose their mate, they were mostly meeting those mates at parties and social events. When high schools became a societal norm is when modern dating really took its current form. Kids hang around other kids their age and hormones are cut loose.

A Few Things:

1. There was never a time period when everyone was all "pure and innocent" and now we're just all terrible and slutty. Clearly, sluttiness is nothing new. As long as there has been people, there has been sluttiness. On the flip side, as long as there have been people, there has been marriage. Marriage is a logical union of people who want to begin a family.

2. If you google or wikipedia the "history of marriage" or anything like that, you will be overwhelmed with fallacies. Seriously, I looked at the wikipedia page and it was written so ethnocentrically, I don't know how anyone could take any of it as historical fact. So, if you want to research more on this subject, please look at legitimate, scholarly sources.

3. Try to look at history without a modern bias. For instance, do you love your parents and your siblings? I do. I didn't choose my family. My husband is my family. And I love him. Since I grew up in the modern age, I loved him before I married him. But you can't say arranged marriage is bad just because it's different. I've read many stories of arranged marriages, and many end with a deep love.

4. I do intend to write more blogs on related subjects in the future. For instance, I did not talk about teen pregnancy, feminist implications and the role of women, having children, and other things that this subject could envoke, because I intend to write separate blogs on these subjects in the future.

Cookin' Up Some Love

2012-01-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

Woodstove cookery.

Fried chicken, rice, chunky mashed potatoes and corn I made for Zach and Tater

I don't cook every night, but I do plan all the meals through grocery shopping, deciding which night we're going to eat out, or by whipping something up. Basically, I do feel the meal planning thing is my responsibility in the marriage. This is mostly because I am home earlier than Zach, and I'm also the hungrier one most of the time. I do think it's important to cook at home for a few reasons. 1.) It ends up saving you money in the long run. 2.) It helps create more of an attachment to a home, and adds stability to your life. 3.) You can fix what you want the way that you like it.

So this post will be dedicated to posting two of my favorite pasta recipes. :) These recipes will NOT help you lose weight! But they are tasty! These recipes will also be counted as today's project of the day.

1.) Chicken and Pasta in a White Wine Sauce:
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine (Riesling is what I used)
Diced tomatoes (you can used canned or fresh, just make sure if it's canned, they're drained).
Some oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil (as much or as little as you want)
Garlic (powdered or cloves)
Pasta of some sort (any sort...though I use angel hair)
Salt and pepper

Pre-cook chicken in the oven (best if marinated beforehand, but optional) until done, then cut chicken into bite size pieces. Combine chicken in large skillet with water, olive oil, garlic, and spices. Add tomatoes, wine, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Make pasta while the sauce simmers. When pasta is done, dish it onto a plate and ladle the sauce on top. Good with croissant rolls and the rest of the wine.

2.) Basil Pesto Sauce (My husband's favorite!)
I have used this sauce on pasta and on chicken. It would also be a good dipping sauce for any kind of potatoes.
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh basil
3/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic (optional)
1 and 1/2 or 2 cups olive oil

You can add a little water, to make it smoother, but that is up to you.
Place ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Put into a pot on the stove and bring it to a boil, then immediately simmer until your pasta or chicken is done.

Yummy Basil Pesto Pasta! Zachary's favorite!

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

2012-01-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Men seem to have such varying taste in women, it's difficult to predict what one man will want. The stereotype, of course, is that men want tan, big breasted, small-waisted blondes that wear plunging neck lines, short skirts and heels. Some may go for that. Then some may go for you, no matter what you're wearing. These men don't care if you put on make-up, they don't care what you wear. There is more going on here than superficiality vs. genuineness. This isn't just a blog about how some men like apples and some oranges. If you are in a relationship, both of you should accept each other for how you are. The only time intervention should occur into the other's looks is if the person is becoming unhealthy, and this is an issue that should be approached with extreme sensitivity and delicacy since it most certainly would be taken with offense, but still must be said, none the less.

If you are already a lucky lady who has a wonderful man that values you for who you are and not how you dress, then I have a challenge for you: Give up the facade. This is certainly not to say "give up." I think people should take pride in their appearance, and women especially should feel beautiful. I gave up the facade, but I didn't give up. I still know how to look hot without looking or feeling fake. :)

Here is what I do in order to give up the facade. Maybe you would rather start small by cutting back on make up. I was able to figure out what feels natural to me.

1.) I only wear mascara for make up. I still have other make-up for really special occasions, but on a daily/work basis, I only wear mascara. My skin quality has improved immensely, but the mascara still gives me a little pop.

2.) I do not shave. This was a difficult one because I felt better physically after shaving in the past and hairy legs made me feel masculine at first. Then my husband reminded me that it's not masculine...it's human. We are the ones that changed things. Of course, I still wear short skirts with tights. I never show my legs. And with it being winter, it feels cozy. This isn't to say I won't shave come summer time, but it shouldn't be an expected thing to shave even when legs aren't seen.

3.) I only wash my hair 2 or 3 times a week. This is one most people are already aware of because many magazines like Cosmo have been recommending that women now wash their hair every day for years. It is better for the health and appearance of your hair. But your hair gets oily if you go a day without washing it? That is because you wash it every day. Try showering at night, the next day you don't wash it, the next day you shower again at night. That's a good start. Also, to get over that oil phase, try putting baby powder, baking powder, or even flour in your hair to soak up the extra oil. I still bathe daily, I just avoid washing my hair.

4.) A huge thing that aids women's health is avoiding wearing underwear. Underwear is extremely bad for your feminine hygeine. Cotton is best because it's somewhat breathable, but it is still not preferable. The underwear holds in heat which is a breeding ground for bacteria. You can get vaginal infections and it is not pleasant. The absolute best way to be healthy down there is to wear a skirt (maybe with a slip or petticoat under it, or not) with no underwear. Of course, I don't do this every day myself, I'm just telling you what's best. I still wear pants most days, just pants that are better without underwear. And I try to wear skirts more.

5.) You don't have to do exactly what I do, just do something to make yourself feel like you, without all the fake beauty things we do. Do something to avoid the facade.

Feel Beautiful Naturally!

My project of the day today sewing potholders. You make it like a little quilt by piecing four squares together (handsewn). Then you find a backing that is about an inch bigger all around than your square. Take some kind of batting (the middle piece) like cotton, wool, or even other materials and sew through all three layers to quilt it either on machine or by hand in whatever quilting pattern you'd like. Finish it by folding the bottom layer over the top layer all around and sew it down. Voila!

This is before it is sewed down, but you can still get an idea of what the finished product will look like.

New Years Blog

2012-01-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

I am going to reiterate the purpose of my blog. I talk about practical living for modern women, but taking advice from all previous time periods as well as our current one.

New Years Resolutions...a lot of people feel as though this concept is overdone. It's almost annoying...no one keeps their resolutions, so why make them? It may irk you that I'm simply talking about them. Well, first of all, everyone is free to talk about whatever they want. Second of all, it's good to have goals. If we didn't have the tradition of New Years Resolutions, someone would have to invent them. We know why. We're already thinking about our lives in terms of what we did and did not do at the end of an old year anyway. A new year truly is a new beginning. It isn't the only new beginning in the year...but it's the first. I don't like talking to people out loud about my resolutions, but somehow I don't mind putting anything into writing. Now that you respect my decision to make a resolution, here are a few of mine:

1.) I'd like to start a business in the near future with handcrafted items. I am going to spend this year building my inventory.
2.) I am going to truly get this blog started by posting at least two or three times a week!
3.) I'm going to start saving/making things for Christmas now.
4.) Yes, I must put on here weight loss, but so must we all after holiday food. I lost 20 whole pounds last year as a result of a resolution, and now I just need to get off the extra 5 holiday pounds...should be easier.
5.) Do not buy clothes for one full year. (I don't buy that many now, so this won't be difficult, I have way more than I need).

But I would also like to say, let us make sure whenever we make resolutions, we also remember accomplishments, cause otherwise you'll end up focusing on all the things you're not doing instead of the things you have done.

In 2011, I....

Lost 20 pounds
Went on trips to St. Louis, Daytona and St. Augustine, FL, places in Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and a houseboat trip on Lake Cumberland.
Did the thing I've been dreading for years....the GRE'S! And I got a pretty decent score!
Got into grad school towards an M.A. in History (which I begin in 2012).
Worked a dream job at the Homeplace Living History Museum, and when that came to an end, I got a different dream job as a translator for the public schools!
Celebrated one year with the most amazing man I've ever known, my loving, sweet husband, Zachary!

My project of the day is a really easy one I've been working on, especially with my new sewing machine I got for Christmas: turn a pair of pants into a skirt. Cut your pants below the knee, the cut along the inner seam of the pants around until they are totally open. Turn the pants inside out and pin the inner seams together on both sides. Then fold the bottom up and pin it in order to make a hem. At this point you may want to try it on to make sure it looks alright, then work out the kinks. Sew the inner seam together either by hand or on a machine, making sure you leave your 1/4 inch seam allowance. Finish by sewing down the hem either by hand or machine. Voila! I've made two out of khaki pants and they're nice enough to wear to work.
Ladies take heed, skirts are superior to pants for the purposes of feminine hygiene, but more to come on that topic later.

This is the skirt that I made for today's Project of the Day! I intend to wear it to work!