What started as a joke on the computer was true and funny, but it was really not for laughing — and really got me thinking of many different things.
There is a saying about how we should look forward instead of looking in a rear view mirror, which is true, but not necessarily completely true.
In my grandmother’s day people were able to plant their gardens in soil not tainted with chemicals. They ate fresh vegetables from their gardens in the summer and ate less meat (because of refrigeration). The surplus from their gardens was canned in glass jars, not stored in plastic or even tin cans that could contaminate their food.
They got their exercise from hard work and they "walked" to many of their destinations. They split wood, which they used to heat their homes, which may have been cool by today's standards but the coolness kept their noses from drying out and their bodies adapted to the cooler temperatures.
They didn't worry about GMOs, chemicals, high fructose corn syrup and honey. The vinegar they used was not distilled.
We take off our shoes when we come inside our homes so we won't track in obvious dirt and undesirable things picked up on our shoes, so why would we want to wash our floors with toxic cleaners that might be dangerous? More and more homes now have wood, tile, stone and marble flooring and children crawl and play with their toys on those floors. There are products on the store shelves that will actually give animals seizures if you use them on your floors.
It has also become ever so important to keep our hands as clean as possible, as well as away from our facial area. Germs enter our bodies through open areas such as our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It is very important to remember to clean the shopping cart you are going to use when you enter the stores. Wiping the handle with a disinfecting towelette will help you get rid of as many germs as possible. It is also important to use the wipes on your hands when you leave the store after you collect your groceries and supplies as many people have handled all those products you put them in your cart. Stair rails are necessary, but they too contain a large number of germs.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It absorbs anything you put on it, so why would we want to use those things that have been found to be toxic to clean our homes? You may actually be using some things that are even more hazardous than whatever you needed to clean.
We are now experiencing more allergies and asthma that we ever used to. A lot is related to opening all those bottles of cleaning products instead of using our grandma's old standbys like baking soda, white vinegar and lemon juice that many households already have in the home and are safer and cheaper.
One example of a cleaning fluid you could use to clean your windows, shower doors or floors is mixing 2 cups of water, 1 cup of Dawn dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of heated warm white vinegar. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and then spray it on the surface you want to clean. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so and then go over it with a scrubbing sponge, followed by a rinse in cold water.
Using common sense and living and eating for immunity will help keep you out of the doctor’s office. It makes more sense to keep your body healthy than having to subject it to medical care.
Along those same lines, years ago people used their common sense and didn't spend so much of their money on "wants" instead of needs and their homes were not full to overflowing and they were not living paycheck to paycheck.
Kids read more books and weren't influenced by all the television trash we have today. It was unthinkable to skip church. Sunday was a day set aside for families to spend the day together and Sunday dinner was something everyone looked forward to. Families played games together for fun. There was less competition for things that took people away from their families as people didn't find many businesses open on Sunday like we see today.
Yes, look forward but don't forget to look back. Rear view mirrors are there for a purpose and many tragedies can happens if we forget to use them. Progress is important but sometimes we have a tendency to overdo it.
Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us. Also if you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me.
If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like include, or news to share please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.
This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:
• Thursday, February 19th: Abraham Peterson, Allison Schmidt, Eleanor Schember, Makela Larkin, Deedee Hunt, Jason Jensen, Teri Ravenhorst, Marjorie Solberg
• Friday, February 20th: Derek Dobberstein, will celebrate his first birthday this year ( 2015); Hadley Routh, Derek Flesche, Amy Shaunce, David Swearingen, Joyce Lageson Hoddick, LuAnn Sommer Granholdt, David & LeAnn Hanson, Jim & Nancy Cornelius
• Saturday, February 21st: Jeannie Worrell, Andy Butler, Phillip Ingvaldson, Bryan Dirkson, Leanna Peterson, Chris & Kim Jensen, Darrell & Cynthia Farr, Max & Marlene Jensen
• Sunday, February 22nd: Shelia Nelson White, Carlie Thompson, Dalys Waltz, Joan & Marian Mast
• Monday, February 23rd: Sharon Gasner Ramaker, Bernie Warnke, Josh Krueger, Markus Allen Misgen, Daniel Suelter, Dale Waltz, Tiffany Mischke, Daniel Walterman, Laura & Jamie Baudoin
• Tuesday, February 24th: Jerry Hemingway, Rick Draper, Nathan Wayne, Roxy Menefee Ray, Sarah Zamora, Nancy Larson, Kathy & Daryl Reed
• Wednesday, February 25th: Berniece Farr Mattson, Colton Hagen, Brad Hagen, LuAnn Miller, Sherri Larson Fritz, Steve & Vicky Dobberstein
• Thursday, February 26th: Sharon Menefee, Shawn Jensen, Becky Lassahn, Ray Coxworth, Ginger Cornelius, Mary Lou Spurr, Chris Sauke, Mike Glynn, Jeff & Robin Christensen, Joel & Peg Radjenovich
• Friday, February 27th: Steve Pence, Jean Anderson, Garry Nordhorn, Doris Rasmussen, Journey Churchill-Malcolm, Erik Cooper, John Olson, Jayden Dakota Tonkin, Nancy Ingvaldson, Daryl Van Ravenhorst
• Saturday, February 28th: Troy Utpadel, Neil Pence, Jackie Miller, Steve Engel, Dan Nesdahl, Bennett Dobberstein, Atom Oquist, Sharese Lehmberg, John Marlin, Gerry Flim, Michelle Nelson, Michael Nelson, Tyler Titus, Tiffany Mischke, Michael Coy, Jim & Diane Butler
Wishing you quiet moments of beauty on your special day!
