Broken MP3 Players

Today my MP3 player quit on me. That makes about half a dozen or more players that have either broken or just stopped working on me, and I'm not that hard on them. I'm considering not buying another but just making my own music: singing and whistling. That won't brake.

The Farming Ladder by George Henderson

I just finished reading The Farming Ladder by George Henderson which I borrowed from the Murphys. If you see this book second hand BUY IT! It is out of print and right now there are only two on Amazon.com for $150. I'm thinking more like under $20. Joel Salatin calls it "his favorite book of all time." I enjoyed reading the story of another farmer who did old fashion or "Joel Salatin" style farming over 70 years ago. It covers everything from movable chicken pens to crop rotaion, cattle and farm entrepreneurialism. 181 pages, hardcover. Published in 1944.

Chat with mom on solving world problems

Over a week ago our washer broke down. The repair man came and looked at it but had to order parts. We've now received the parts but are waiting for him to return to rebuild our washer.

Mom is away for the week and I caught her on instant messenger this morning...

mom: This is your Mother Dear! (chatting on Sarah's account)

me:  Hi mother!

me: I can help solve some of the world's problems

mom: What world problems are you wanting to solve?

me: Here is the solution...

Link click here.


mom: The wringer washer is an idea. But I do like my servant that does everything for me!

me:  But this won't brake down on you!

uses less water and can clean better

and best of all ..... no electricity!

mom: Do you want to do the laundry?

me: If we got one of these I wouldn't mind helping

mom:  You are so much fun!

me: What's wrong with that?!

it's very practical. I thought through it very well and it will pay off

mom: But it's a lot more work! We would soon have to figure out how to dirty less clothes!

me: What's wrong with that?!

you see, it's a trade off. Money for electricity, extra water, repairing the washer or just a little more of your time

mom: You're so much fun Jon!  I love your ideas! :)

me:  sure sure....

mom:  Yes, yes!

me:  You see, if you only spent less money but had to spend more time and effort you may opt for the washing machine. But that time could be spent with family...instead of dad at work paying for the washer which broke again

I'd much rather work fewer hours a day away from home and spend more time at home working with my family.

mom:  I appreciate the way you think Jon! :)

me:  I try...maybe someday I can have one... put it on my birthday list

mom:  My Grandma had one.  I remember it being in their kitchen when we would go visit them!

me: :)

mom: Well, bye, bye it has been fun chatting with you! I miss all you! Love and hugs, Mother Dear

me: Bye mother, love you

Key Wind Alarm Clock

I got this for being old fashion. A key wind alarm clock, no batteries or electricity. Nothing expensive or fancy but I'm pretty happy about it.

How To Shave Like Your Grandpa

I said I was old fashioned. Some of my ideas and likes might be a little out dated but I thought I'd share. Maybe someone else will appreciate it.  I read this article by Brett and Kate McKay from Art of Manliness over a year ago and started using a traditional double edge razor. I've really enjoyed using it and spending a lot less on razors and cream. I like The Real Shaving Company's shave cream. The best I've used. I've been able to use a lot less and get a great shave. Hope you enjoy the article.

Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today’s average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they’re only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market. I’m not sure when or why it happened, but the tradition of passing down the secrets of a clean shave abruptly stopped. Thankfully, this glorious male ritual is making a comeback.

Benefits of The Classic Wet Shave

Reduce costs. An 8 pack of your typical four blade cartridge razors can set you back over $20. $20! That’s $2.50 per cartridge. The cost of a double edged safety razor is no more than $.25. You can save some serious money switching over to a safety razor. Additionally, you can save money by using traditional shaving creams and soaps. A can of the chemically packed gel goop that most drug stores sell can cost you up to $5 a can and it doesn’t even last that long and they don’t give you a quality shave. On the other hand, traditional shave creams and soaps are made out of natural materials. While their up front cost may be a bit more than shaving gels, you require less product to get a proper lather. Thus, you end up saving more in the long run.

Reduce environmental impact. Traditional wet shaving with a double edged safety razor uses less waste than shaving with cartridge razors. The only waste is a single metal razor blade and lather down the sink. Unlike today’s razor cartridges, a double edged blade can easily be recycled. The tubes and bowls that most traditional shave creams and soaps are sold in produce less waste than those clunky non-biodegradable aerosol canisters that gels come in.

Better, more consistent shaves. Most men today walk around not knowing they have horrible shaves. Electric razors and the latest 5 blade contraptions irritate the skin more than needed, leaving razor burn, ingrown hairs, and redness. Shaving with a safety razor will eliminate the skin irritation and give your face a clean healthy look because you’re just using one blade instead of several that chew up your face in order to cut your whiskers.

Suggested Razors

Merkur Classic Safety Razor, Straight-#178- Made in Germany

Merkur Futur Adjustable Double Edge Safety Razor with Satin Finish- #700- Made in Germany

Merkur Classic Long Handled Safety Razor, Straight

 

Suggested Razors Blades

American Personna. You can find these in most drugstores. They’re usually marketed as generic brand blades. They’re pretty forgiving for the first time user.

Merkur Double Edge Razor Blades- Pack of 10 Blades- Made in Germany

Journaling...

...it's not not just for women. Somehow keeping a journal got associated with being a woman's thing to do over the last century. In studying the lives of great men, I’ve noticed a common trait: they were all consistent journal writers. Here’s a short list of great men from history who kept journals:

Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark, Winston Churchill, Jim Elliot, David Brainard, George Washington, and George Muller.... the list goes on.

So I figure, if great men like these thought it was important to keep a journal, maybe I should, too. If it weren’t for their journals, we probably wouldn’t know much about their great lives and deeds.

Why Keep a Journal?

Your children and grandchildren will want to read it. You may think everyday life is quite ordinary and of little interest to anyone else. I'm sure great-grandpa thought the same growing up on the farm in the days before electricity, cars, and other modern day conveniences. For me a peek at the olden days is fascinating.

While you think that you’ll be able to remember everything just as clearly in the future, you won’t. Remember when you were a kid and you thought your experiences would be easily recalled at age 30? Now what do you remember from those days besides that time a dog bit you in the face? Someday your grandchildren will ask you about the big stuff too: “Where were you when you found out about the attacks on the World Trade Center?” and “What did you think about the election of Barack Obama?” Your journals will give them the answers they’ll be looking for and will bring you closer.

And who knows? Maybe the whole world might be interested in your musings someday. You may not think so now, but how many famous men knew that they would be famous before they actually burst onto the scene? And how many men were ignored in their lifetime, only to be celebrated after their death?

Journaling can be invaluable in sorting out thoughts, keeping track of goals, watching your thoughts change, and recording family life for later reminiscing. You don't have to get overly personal if that's not your interest. Create a dialog with yourself about career challenges or goals.

Your journal can also be an exploration of your growth and goals in your Christian walk. Write down things God is teaching you, ways he has blessed you, and areas you want to improve in.

A man, interested in a young lady, could share his journal with her father. This would help the father get to know him better and understand his goals and values. Same could be done later for the girl being courted.

It’s time to get started. Your task today is to start a journal. If you already have a journal, but haven’t written in it in awhile, write an entry today. And if you’re one of those few consistent journalers out there, way to go!

The Art of Letter Writing

In the days of cell phones, email, and text messages, letter writing can seem hopelessly outdated. But it’s an art worth bringing back, and not because of some misplaced sense of nostalgia either. The writing and reception of letters will always offer an experience that modern technology cannot touch. Twitter is effective for broadcasting what you’re eating for lunch, and email is fantastic for quick exchanges on the most pertinent pieces of information. But when it comes to sharing one’s true thoughts, sincere sympathies, ardent love, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along an invisible superhighway will never suffice. Why?

Because sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone’s door. Ink from your pen touches the stationary, your fingers touch the paper, your saliva seals the envelope. Something tangible from your world travels through machines and hands, and deposits itself in another’s mailbox. Your letter is then carried inside as an invited guest. The paper that was sitting on your desk, now sits on another’s. The recipient handles the paper that you handled. Letters create a connection that modern, impersonal forms of communication will never approach.


For two years before we were married, Kate and I were a thousand miles apart, with letter-writing our only available means of communication. We fell in love over the dozens of letters sent between us. I do not know of a richer and more satisfying way of getting to know a person. Today the collection of letters from that time is one of our most treasured possessions, something we hope our kids will read and get a kick out of. Thus, letters not only serve a purpose in the here and now, they also stand as historical records, giving us a incomparable window into the past. Anyone who has ever come across the old letters of parents and grandparents and suddenly felt transported back to another time and place, knows well the legacy-leaving power of letters. What will we leave our grandchildren? The username and password to our email accounts?

by Brett & Kate McKay

The Young Pioneers

Laura told me to post on this so here it is...

The Young Pioneers is one of my favorite movies.

Molly and David Beaton are young newlyweds who head out for the vast wilderness of the newly opened Dakota territory in the 1870s to start a new life. They secure a large track of land as "homesteaders" and built a sod house to try to get through the long, difficult winter.

Soon Molly discovers she's pregnant, and it doesn't take long before the couple realizes that a depression, a blizzard and an army of grasshoppers who attack crops will make survival harder then they had planned.

I love the simple, pioneer life style. Kind of a dream of mine... Two lessons to note in the movie: Young husbands must learn to listen to their wives cautions. Second, don't borrow money! It is betting on your future. We need to learn to have faith and trust in God to provide for us rather then replacing that with insurance or running to get another loan.

Molasses on Pancakes

Well, I tried something new today! I've been trying to eat healthier but sometimes it's hard to find good substitutes. What to use in place of syrup?

Growing up I read stories of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder who put molasses on their pancakes. I wonder how that would taste? With Laura teasing me about being a health freak I got out the molasses and began pouring it on.

I actually liked it! I'm not a big fan of the flavor, yet, but I do love strong flavor and by putting just a little on it tasted like maple syrup.

A Manly Boy - Published by Draper’s Self Culture in 1907

For a boy to be manly, he must act like a man. By this I do not mean that he must no longer be a boy. He must be willing, as far as he is able, to help his parents, and try to assist his brothers and sisters in every way that he can.

There are many things which men do that it would not be right for boys to attempt. But there are also many other things which wise and thoughtful boys will try to do as well as they can, and yet be true boys.

There is an old saying that “you cannot put old heads on young shoulders.” This is true to some extent; but when it is given as an excuse for being thoughtless and careless and rude, it is misleading.

We do not want to see our boys going about like little old men, and bearing burdens which their shoulders were never meant to carry. We do not want them to be robbed of the freshness and lightness of youth, while they are yet children but in years.

We believe that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” But it is also true that “all play and no work will give Joe a ragged shirt.”

Now a manly boy is as often as fond, if not fonder, of play than a boy who has nothing of a man about him. This is because the work he does gives him a change of employment, which makes play all the pleasenter when he takes part in a game.

In every home there are many things to be done which a boy can do just as well as an older person. He can black boots, mend broken things, run errands, work in the garden, and help his younger brothers and sisters with their lessons.

He can treat his parents with repect, follow their advice, and act in such a manner that they feel they can trust him to do right when he is out of their sight. They know that he is anxious to win their praise, and that he values their esteem.

I remember asking a father if he was not afraid to send a boy of thirteen to pay a large sum of money.

“Oh no,” he replied, smiling, “I know it is quite safe with him. You see, he is such a manly boy.”

When you are older and read the lives of some men who have risen to high places in the world, you will find that when they were boys they began to act like men. Yet they were just as fond of fun and play as other boys who never tried to give their parents a helping hand.

How often we hear a boy say, “I wish I was a man!” And if we ask why, we often learn that it is because he wants to be able to do as he likes. He is tired of having to obey his parents, and be guided by them. He thinks he knows better than they do what is best for him.

Such a boy is already going wrong, and only wants the chance to break away from the restraints of home. He is not a manly boy. He is often a forward, foolish boy, who can be easily led astray, and who will sooner or later come to grief.

When a manly boy wishes to be a man, it is not that he may have his own way, but that he may be better able to help his parents and be more useful in the world. It is not that he is tired of being a boy, but he is willing to give up youthful pleasures for the sake of those who have done so much for him.