theartofquirk

[theartofquirk]

"[Limescale] formation may be prevented by keeping in the vessel a marble, or a potato tied in a piece of linen."

[What's this all about?]

Indeed, this makes sense. The limescale would form on the marble (or indeed potato) and thus reduce the amount forming on the base.

I wonder if this is possible now with modern kettles? The marbles that is. I'm not overly keen on the thought of potato flavoured tea!

Image - Jaime Spaniol

Quote from the book: “The family hand-book; or practical information in domestic economy; including cookery, household management, and all other subjects connected with the health, comfort and expenditure of a family: with a collection of choice receipts and valuable hints” - 1845 - Author Unknown

#home economics #home management #home tips #victorian #1800s #notes from the past #old books #i read books #reading #currently reading #research to do

[theartofquirk]

"The superintendence of a house and family is one of the earliest and most important duties of a wife and mother."

[what's this all about?]

With my Mother working shifts as a nurse most of the time the majority of the housework was done whilst I was at school. I never really understood how much work household management was because I didn't really see it happening.

As a teen I marvelled at my boyfriend's mum who would top to toe the house every Saturday morning, then plan and do the weekly shop. How could she manage that huge house all on her own? I now realise (through unfortunate experience) that this was habit and consistency at play.

I need to re-order priorities in my brain and this is partly why I'm reading how English women of old managed a house.

It is in doing so that I read this sentence, right there on the first page of the first book, and I had to pause.

"The superintendence of a house and family is one of the earliest and most important duties of a wife and mother."

The very idea of being the superintendent of your own home! You are The Overseer, the Top Dog!

From the Latin: Super - "above" & Intendere - "To direct" also "Intend"

As the Superintendent of your house you willingly step into the role of the intentional planner, director and home knowledge-keeper. You don't just show up and do the work, you are responsible for having a vision of what your home life should look like and how it should feel to each member of your family.

Home management done right is a complex set of systems. Once person needs to know the ins and outs of each system for the house to run efficiently in order for it to generate the maximum happiness quotient.

And if you don't do it, who else will?

---

Quote from the book: "The family hand-book; or practical information in domestic economy; including cookery, household management, and all other subjects connected with the health, comfort and expenditure of a family: with a collection of choice receipts and valuable hints" - 1845 - Author Unknown

#housework #i read books #household management #home management #home economics #Ancestor stories #ancestors #Happy home #housework struggles

[theartofquirk]

The Old Ways

Do you ever wonder about your ancestors? I've recently been on an investigative trip around my family tree with some quite interesting results.

I have a (very) distant cousin who was convicted of sheep stealing in the 1800's, deported to Tasmania and subsequently became a timber magnate & world renown apple cider brewer. The liquor is still available today but will set you back over £100 a bottle.

I have a cousin who was dubbed Yorkshire's very own Florence Nightingale for assisting a famous doctor in a malaria hospital in Guatemala. She earned herself the highest honour in that country, the Order of The Quetzal.

I discovered servants, potters, miners and even one committed to the West Yorkshire lunatic asylum. Which may explain a few things...

I initially thought the task to be a fun one but was surprised to find that it was also therapeutic.

My Father had told me about my ancestors on his side when I was a child. My hyperactive, naive brain didn't appreciate that sometime in the future I may wish to remember these stories and not have the chance for them to be retold.

On my Mothers side, there was less knowledge. In fact, we don't even know who my Grandfather was. A fact, unfortunately, taken to the grave.

As I piece together my lineage I find myself feeling more rooted to the Earth. Something I've struggled with for decades with this overactive, dissociation-prone mind.

I also have been spending a good deal of time thinking about local history, the differences in society and about the state of the world at large. This led me to consider whether information, otherwise passed down through generations by word-of-mouth, was lost when dual-income families and internet generation kids (like myself) became the norm.

I remembered my Mother always had a book of Mrs Beaton's Household Management on the kitchen shelf. I looked through it occasionally as a child, put off by recipes that required offal, and condemning the book as 'remnants of a distant past', a past made obsolete through modern convenience.

Looking back I cringe. I'm constantly apologising for my house when visitors come, though I am reassured that most laugh and say it's fine - I should have seen where they just came from! I'm never organised, often forgetful and suffer regular bouts of overwhelm. Perhaps, if I'd have shown Mrs Beaton greater respect, or domestic economy was taught in my family as a necessary skill, I wouldn't have been doomed to confusion and frustration. Or maybe I really am just lazy, as my brain likes to tell me in moments of weakness. Life was comfortable growing up but it didn't orient me very well in the world.

So I've resolved to make up for lost time. I've decided to learn from the real experts, the petticoat-wearing women of old. Starting from the oldest book in the Internet Archive, I'll be working my way though each book to the present in the hope to reveal the mysteries of a well-managed home.

The first book is from the 1800's and is the concisely named:

“The Family Hand-Book; Or Practical Information in Domestic Economy; Including Cookery, Household Management, and All Other Subjects Connected With the Health, Comfort and Expenditure of a Family: With a Collection of Choice Receipts and Valuable Hints”

I'll be pulling out small passages that jump out to me, either as something I wish I'd known or something that I feel is worthy of conversation. I won't be sticking to a set schedule as I'm clearly not that kind of organised but I will post as soon as I find each little nugget of gold.

Pass me my pinafore Mrs B!

#genealogy #housework #domestic economy #knowledge of old #women's history #period drama #Things history teaches us #learn with me

[theartofquirk]

The excitement we had as a 5 year old, running to our parents in the playground, waving a shiny new certificate at them... As a child, the approval of our parents is integral to our desire to achieve. As adults though, being a hyper-achiever can have drawbacks if we lack focus and clarity. Take a moment. Disengage with the need to achieve. Consider asking yourself: am I doing this for my benefit? Or for the ability to show others what I can do? Will my efforts move me closer to my own goals?

#fridayfeels #fridayfeelings #positive_vibes #quotesilove #ladieswhodesign #illustratedquote #handletteringartist #growthmindset #spiritualhealing #selflove #mindsetmatters #mentalwellbeing #quoteart #bethebest #bethebestyou #girlbossquotes #achieveyourgoals #achievementquotes #motivationalart

[theartofquirk]

Recently, instead of zoning out on social media, I’ve had this web cam of a waterhole in the Namib desert on in the background. It’s helped me cut my social media use drastically. And it’s fun.

#social media addiction #digital detox #relaxation #relax aesthetic #namibia #oryx #hello there #less stress

[theartofquirk]

“Self-improvement never ends. Once you fix one problem, you discover another area that requires an upgrade. This continues until the day you die.”

— Ed Latimore

[theartofquirk]

Woo! 10 posts. For someone with procrastination issues I'm impressed :D

#10 posts #tumblr milestone

[theartofquirk]

Love & Survival Reflexes

When we are born we arrive with an enormous capacity to love and a bunch of survival instincts.

What happens to us as a child determines whether our adult life will be spent radiating love or fighting for survival.

Childhood is when we form our views of the world and also how we interact and communicate with other people. If our opportunity to communicate is limited to just one or two people, we'll take on their world view and communication style. And if our interactions with those primary caregivers are distant (perhaps marred by exhaustion, mental health problems or work commitments) our communication skills and ability to feel secure is compromised.

In having limited connection with our caregivers we can become insecure. Our sense of self dwindles as we fail to receive reassurance, reinforcement and feedback. This in turn, affects our power to experience and give love in a secure and confident manner.

Communication difficulties, an insecure sense of self, fear, neglect, disappointment can all nudge our nervous system into activation and cause negative patterns rooted in fight, flight, freeze and fawn. We find ourselves living in burnout and firmly rooted in our survival mechanisms rather than rational thinking.

This shows up as emotional instability, social withdrawal, hoarding (can also include courses, books, stationary, projects) and interpersonal difficulties.

To forge a path out of this internal suffering we need to build support around us. This can include; likeminded (but positive) people, self-discovery, self-authoring (understanding your origin story), building nervous system regulation skills, communication skills and self-trust.

The journey from living in our survival mechanisms to living in love is not short, nor is it straight. Expect many twists and turns. But it is rewarding.

The first step is loving yourself. Even if you feel like you're a shell of the person you wish to be.

#writers on tumblr #blogger #love yourself #self love #inspiration #self healing #self regulation #mental health

[theartofquirk]

🍁autumn-dreamin🍁

[theartofquirk]

How super cool is this?

hi hi! 🌞 you can also find me at:

my portfolio - sarahwebb.site

my webcomic - kochab-comic.com

twitter - twitter.com/bearsarered

ko-fi - ko-fi.com/sarahwebb

prints - inprnt.com/gallery/sarahwebb/

[theartofquirk]

The South Downs

[theartofquirk]

Today I noticed how the sweet joy of painless living is only thrown into sharp contrast when the steering agony creeps back.

Pain has been an episodic lover creeping in and out of my bed as he pleases, no regard to the heartbreak he leaves.

#autoimmine disease #autoimmune #antiphospholipid syndrome #chronic pain #pain #joint pain #writing #blog #blogger #spoonie

[theartofquirk]

companion :)

[theartofquirk]

Practicing my character building.

#character design #cartoon #illustration #new to tumblr

[theartofquirk]

[theartofquirk]

Me and the smallest (let’s call him Gentle) made this clay representation of villager News by Element Animation.

#minecraft #element animation #clay art #clay figures #kids art #funny #gaming

[theartofquirk]

Today was one of those days. My eldest (let’s call him Brave) has a virus. It’s the start of school and loads of kids get sick. But he’s different. Instead of being quiet and lethargic when he’s sick, he becomes hyper, impulsive and lacks all common sense. It’s hard to keep him safe at times. To top it off the medication he needs for the ear pain has corn ingredients in it. He has food sensitivities and they cause him to be… hyper, impulsive and zero common sense.

I *should* have torn up the todo list today. But I didn’t and between everyone and the dog I’ve achieved nothing. There would have been a time where that would’ve upset me, but I’ve worked though that. I owe no one my peace for the sake of doing.

Besides, I wrote this so all was not lost, right?

#being a mom #momlife #spoonie #bad day #this is fine #stressed