Oh dear, posting from home when I have a new job. I woke up sick and I am never sick with colds! Very odd! I suspect too much stress in a row, or something that is more dust-related than germ-related, because I do always get puny when we have big dust storms. I'm hoping if I rest all day I will be able to go in tomorrow.
One of the parents at the school where I'm now working does something very nice for the students and staff. Every two weeks, he has a semi drive up to deliver big USDA "Farmers to Families" food boxes. When I interviewed, it was "box day" and they insisted I take one of the boxes home.
It was so heavy someone carried it to my car for me.
Inside the box was a half-gallon of milk, a bag of apples, a bag of oranges, a sack of potatoes (notice some things we say are in bags and some in sacks and actually it all looks like plastic bags!), four big containers of sour cream, two big onions, a 2-pound brick of American cheese, and a five-pound bag of cooked chicken fajita strips. It all comes frozen solid, so that it will last the day before dismissal.
Well, I'm not proud, so I was happy to get this food box! I have already had a sandwich of the fajita meat and some apples. This is going to save me some money, always good when one is on a budget.
And speaking of sacks and bags, I would love to see more foods packaged in actual cloth bags, and see the rise of needlework again! Instead of buying dish towels, the cloth bags could be cut up and made into them. Ditto for coasters, hot pads, soap bags, braided cloth strips for rope, and more! But I think that's just a dream in this modern world. I doubt the tenets of the old home-ec classes or the modern "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra will get much traction in the age of Walmart and Dollar Tree, and the age where homemaking has been made very difficult to choose as a career, not that I don't appreciate those stores.
While I'm just resting today, I am going to try to make a hot-pad from a cloth sack I saved from some Christmas cookies. The cookies came in a little cloth sack, very nice heavy cotton, almost "cotton duck." Anyone else remember the names of fabrics? Satin, sateen, duck, canvas, gingham, dotted Swiss, batiste, was there hopsack? My memory is going, anyone have more?
Dear Dame, I am sorry you are not feeling well today. I hope tomorrow finds you more your most wonderful self. Home Ec, removed from most schools. Unfortunate. I am sure there are some lovely young ladies who are learning these skills from their moms, who knows it may make a comeback, although there is nothing new under the sun, ( something else in the bible) but it will be new to them. That's a nice size box, and what a blessing for you, a saving is a saving.
ReplyDeleteSorry you are ill and hope you are back to your old self soon. Wow that is quite the box of food! and a big saving.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the cloth sacks or just use cloth bags to chose what you want no other bag needed
Cathy
I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Hopefully tomorrow will find you well and raring to go.
ReplyDeleteThat Food Box sounds delightful. I sure would have taken one and been very thankful too.
Is their still sail cloth?
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of the food box...that's very generous.
Feel better soon!!
Yes, sail cloth!
DeleteI think that's a good idea to have the "farmers to families" food boxes. Wow, the box came with a lot of food! Yes, dish towels can be pricey, and sometimes I cut up my old ragged dish towels and make them into wash cloths. I'm always thinking of clever things to make do haha. Enjoy the food box, Holly, and I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
I forgot to add there was a head of lettuce in the box, too! I love "make do's" too, Sheri!
DeleteI wonder if anyone is left to weave the cloth into rugs. But just having cloth bags is wonderful. Pack a lunch in one, or a sandwich.
ReplyDeleteGood ideas!
DeleteYou remind me of my mother using "rags" and other old clothing and fabric to make hotpads.... When my father died and she went to work as the kitchen manager at a local high school, she even made them for the kitchen there. Ahh, types of fabrics...you have nailed a lot of them and now my mind will wander (even more than it customarily does) to which we have missed.... The ones that came to mind immediately are: chiffon, percale, velvet, velveteen, canvas, chenille, toile, damask, silk, taffeta, georgette, ostnaberg, linen, muslin, polyester, tweed, organza, twill... Ok, I'll stop now. Sorry. I used to sew...a LOT...and actually sewed to earn money. ;-) Hope you feel better soon! ~Robin~
ReplyDeleteDing ding ding! We have a winner! What a lot of names, I had forgotten then although I sat straight up at 4 a.m. and said, "LINEN!"
DeleteFirst I read you changed jobs (I left a comment on yesterday's post) and now I find you are not well. Sorry you are puny today. I wish you felt better.
ReplyDeleteWhat a remarkable thing your school is doing. I wish they had Farmers to Families where I live. They don't even have a co-op here. You are SO lucky. The only "cloth" I can think of no one has mentioned is burlap (called hessian in the UK and EU). Please get better soon, dear.
TY! Burlap! I forgot about burlap!
DeleteHow about, Flannel, Taffeta, Grograin, there are others but I can't remember the names. I loved picking the fabric to make my clothes years ago but like you say its all nylon and man made fabrics now and they do not hang the same.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
That's right, I love grosgrain ribbons especially!
DeleteSorry to hear you are not feeling well, hope you get better soon. That Food box was very generous! Such a good thing to do.
ReplyDeleteHope it's just a cold.
ReplyDeleteLovely box!
Ahhhhhh, the sound of lovely names of fabric... gingham, dotted Swiss, batiste... Ohhh what lovely memories!
I especially loved gingham and dotted Swiss. Remember a pale lavender dotted Swiss dress, my mother made for me, when I was going with a Cadet at West Point. It was for a summer weekend at Camp Buckner, where the Cadets did their summers.
Ahhhhh, such lovely memories!
Thank you!!!!
🌸🎀🌸🎀🌸🎀🌸
I bet you were just a vision in that lavender dotted Swiss!
DeleteRest up!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great box indeed! YUM!
Hope you feel much better now.
ReplyDeleteNice to get a full box of food!