Something Old (43 page)

“Now Gram,” Jake began, “that’s Katy’s wedding veil.”

“I made this, didn’t I?” Minnie asked, ignoring her grandson and narrowing her eyes with unmistakable mischief.

“Yes, Minnie,” Katy softly gasped. “And I’ll always cherish it.”

Emotion flashed in Minnie’s eyes, and she dropped the ribbon. Her mouth moved almost fishlike. Then she suddenly shook her head in protest, emphatically thrusting her finger against Jake’s suit jacket. “This! This!” she insisted loudly.

Aghast, Katy looked at her groom. Then slowly, understanding dawned. “You want me to cherish your grandson instead? Oh Minnie, I do cherish him.”

Minnie didn’t reply, but she dropped her hand and got a big grin on her face as she dismissed them by marching off toward the cake table.

Katy let out a sigh of relief then grinned up at Jake. “That was a close one. She’s right, you know.”

Jake demonstrated
his
agreement by sweeping Katy into his arms right next to the willow tree, for all the world to see. He kissed her until there was no doubt left in her mind that he cherished her, too, and that it was time to make a dash for that shiny, black pickup truck.

Cleaning Tips

Cold or hot coffee cleans drainpipes.

Vinegar in front-loader washers kills mildew on seals.

Keep home cleaner by sweeping driveways and entryways.

Use paintbrushes to dust cracks and hard-to-reach places in telephones, stereos, etc.

Shine a stainless steel sink with vinegar or a touch of oil on a cloth to make the sink sparkle

Cleaning my feather duster: Keep dipping and swirling in soapy water and rinsing in clear water until the water stays clear. Then dry with feathers up.

Miscellaneous Tips

Ice cubes sharpen garbage disposal blades.

Chopping onions takes rust off knives.

Outsiders: peel like an onion to see what’s really inside before discarding. Stop judging their actions without understanding their motives. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the L
ORD
pondereth the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

Do not underestimate the elderly. Though their feet move slower, their hands remain lightning fast and their thoughts are as mysterious as the universe.

Kissing trees make wonderful wedding altars.

Stains

Burned food in dishes: fill with water and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Soak. Scrub.

Ring around the collar: shampoo cleans the body oils away.

Gum: first cool and harden, then scrape most off with hard edge, then rub remainder with egg whites.

Tomato stains: run cool water until clear, then blot with white vinegar. Note: Removes the stain but does not remove memory of the incident. I remain in search of that particular cleansing agent, that can renew my mind.

Later entry: It is forgiveness.

Removing Jake’s scent: sprinkled a pinch of baking soda on my white blouse where our shoulders touched. Do not give in to temptation to sleep with untreated blouse under my pillow.

Hand Cream Home Remedies

Recipe One

2 ounces beeswax

1 cup sweet almond oil

1 cup water

Heat, heating water separately, then blend. Cool and store in jar or tin.

Use as hand lotion.

Recipe Two

½ cup olive oil

A few drops of scented lavender drops from dollar store Wear gloves until it soaks into skin

Recipe Three

1 banana

1 teaspoon honey

Juice of one lime

1 tablespoon butter

Mash banana and add to honey, lime juice, and butter. Blend and put in container. Leave on at least two hours with gloves.

Spring-Cleaning Tips

Use a natural sponge. Wash down kitchen backsplashes with vinegar water.

Use dishwasher to clean odds and ends.

Check expiration dates of medicine-cabinet and refrigerator items and make a shopping list for employer.

Check smoke alarms before they go off in the middle of the night and frighten little Addison.

Window blinds: use a white glove and dip in vinegar water (equal parts vinegar and water).

Toss shower curtains in washer.

Personal note 1: to survive winter until spring arrives, stir up my faith, wrap myself in God’s hope, and watch for Dutchman’s breeches. God is able.

Personal note 2: new beginnings are not only possible but wonderful!

Cleaning Recipes

Wood-Paneling Recipe:

1 pint warm water

4 tablespoons white or apple vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Apply with a clean cloth. Let soak a few minutes, and wipe off with a dry cloth.

Windows Recipe:

2 cups water

3 tablespoons vinegar

½ teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent

Squeegee

Tip: Clean one side horizontally and the other vertically so you can determine which side has streaks

Cleaning the Microwave:

1 cup coffee

1 slice lemon

Microwave a few minutes, let it set, and it softens the spills. Wipe down with warm, soapy water.

The Head Covering

“But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

“Judge in yourselves, is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.”

1 C
ORINTHIANS
11:3–16

Journal disclaimer: Cleaning tips and recipes try at your own risk. Same with applying Katy’s personal tips.

Dianne Christner enjoys the beauty of her desert surroundings in Phoenix, Arizona, where life sizzles when temperatures soar above 100 degrees. She and husband Jim have two married children and five grandchildren. Before writing, Dianne worked in office management, in admissions and as a teacher’s assistant in a Christian school, and owned an exercise salon in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Her first book was published in 1994, and she now writes full-time. She has published several historical fiction titles and writes contemporary fiction based on her experience in the Mennonite church. Her husband was raised on a farm in Plain City, Ohio, in a Conservative Mennonite church. Dianne was raised in an urban Mennonite setting. They both have Amish ancestors and friends and family in various sects of the Mennonite church. Now Dianne and Jim attend a nondenominational church.

You may find information about her other books at
www.diannechristner.net
where she keeps a blog about the Mennonite lifestyle.