The Vege-Men's Revenge: written by Bertha Upton / 1897

I don't own this lovely book, but I would love to some day.  You can read the full book with all the illustrations  here. 

 The story is about a little girl named Poppy who is sent by her mother to collect vegetables in her basket. The book is in three parts and in the first part Poppy meets Herr Carrot and Don Tomato who entice her with 'fair words' to come and see how they grow underground.

In Print

I've been going through my book collection. My oldest book is from 1848: The Ferry-Man's Daughter by D.P. Kidder

In 1848, the US was experiencing the Gold Rush, we were fighting cholera epidemics, and opening our first medical school for women. 

I love the history captured in these old gems.  Lost language and etiquette are kept alive in printed form. It's hard to believe some of these survived through history.  I feel so lucky to own these bits of history.

Old Treasures of Wisdom

I recently read This book.  The kindle version also includes in the back of the book some housekeeping ideas such as this one: 

Dish Washing Made a Pleasure:
"First of all, remove all refuse from the dishes. Place them near the sink, large plates at the bottom, then the smaller ones, then saucers. Have a large pan full of very hot water. Make a good soap suds by using a soap shaker. Wash the tumblers and all glassware first, and wipe at once. Use a handle dish cloth (which can be bought for five cents), for these, as the water will be too hot for the hands. Wash the silver next. Have a large pan, in which to place the clean dishes, cups and bowls first. When all are washed pour over them boiling or very hot water, and wipe quickly. Pans and kettles come last. Always have a cake of sand soap or a can of cleaning powder, for scouring the pie plates and bottoms of kettles. It is very little work to keep baking tins and kitchen utensils in good condition, if washed perfectly clean each time they are used. Wash the dish towels, at least once every day, and never use them for anything else. With clean hot water, clean towels, and plenty of soap dish washing is made easy. If you live in New England, your sink will be in front of a window. Be sure and plant just outside of this window nasturtiums, a bed of pansies, morning glories and for fall flowers, salvia. These bright blossoms will add to your pleasure while washing dishes."

I find it quite humorous that only houses in New England have sinks in front of windows.

There are three entire paragraphs describing the proper way to sweep a room.  It is intense and involves putting sheets over everything then laying strips of wet newspaper over that to catch any dust.  Thoroughly sweeping the floor is always followed by washing the windows as dust gets on those from sweeping.  Luckily it states this only needs done every 2-3 weeks.(!)

I guess if you needed to fill your day with something in an attempt not to be bored or idle, I could see how this would be necessary.  So, if you are twiddling your thumbs with nothing to do, I invite you to properly sweep a floor or do the dishes.  It is sure to kill a few hours in the day.

Books are for Reading

I recently stumbled across this post: 65-favorite-read-aloud-books-for-boys-. The books mentioned would be good for any kid or adult, for that matter.  We've read about 40% of the ones on her list.  Cold weather is the perfect time to snuggle up and read a good book without feeling guilty.  What else are you going to do?

Even though my son is 11, I still read aloud in the evenings while he plays legos or draws.  This is by his request, which really warms my heart because I know these days are numbered.

Some books that I would add to this list are:

My Side of the Mountain is a 1959 young-adult fiction novel by Jean Craighead George about a boy who learns about courage, independence, and the need for companionship while attempting to live in a forested area of New York. The book was one of three novels to be named to the Newbery Medal Honors list in 1960,^[1] and was loosely adapted into a movie in 1969. My Side of the Mountain also spawned several sequels.

The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's adventure novel and modern fairy tale by Norton Juster. It was published in 1961 with illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth one afternoon and, having nothing better to do, decides to drive through it in his toy car. The tollbooth transports him to a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he acquires two faithful companions, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom—Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason—from the castle of air. The text is full of puns, and many events, such as Milo's jump to the Island of Conclusions, exemplify literal meanings of English language idioms.

Harriet the Spy is a children's novel written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh that was published in 1964. It has been called "a milestone in children’s literature" and a "classic."

The Moomins (Swedish: Mumintroll, Finnish: Muumi) are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published inSwedish by Schildts^[2] in Finland. They are a family of white, roundish fairy tale characters with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre. They have had many adventures along with their various friends.

Currently we are reading: 

The Magic City By E. Nesbi, firrst published in 1910.  

Philip and Lucy are transported into a magic city he built from toys. All are threatened with disaster if the children can't save them through valiant deeds. 

Happy reading, and if you come across a good book, please let me know!