Imagination In Marriage

"Love is a beautiful flower in life's garden, but it is a frail one, and needs careful tending.  In married life love dies much more often from neglect than as a result of active damage.  Such neglect can be avoided.  All that is needed is to use your imagination. 

To maintain a healthy and fruitful relationship three things are highly desirable  - adequate time for love-making, a congenial setting and some variety."

This little bit of advice was found in the 1965 book "Frankly Feminine: A book of comprehensive information and advice for the woman of today."  It was edited by Eileen McCarthy for The Grolier Society Limited of London.  (The picture was taken from the book.) 

Things are still chaotic here. The boys have one room of carpet left to lift, and there are boxes, paint cans, and bits of timber everywhere, although I am trying to keep my bedroom and the kitchen tidy.

Son has used acoustic wall panels to make a feature wall in his room. I like his choice, especially using the two colours, and think the end result is rather stylish.

Renovations can be stressful at times, but I'm really looking forward to the end result. 

Margaret xx 

Care Of Nails

"You should be careful to cut your toe-nails frequently, every week or ten days, and they should be cut square across the top, not rounded, and with sharp scissors.

Finger nails should also be cut about once a week to keep them in good order.  They can be rounded to the shape of the finger to prevent the corners catching and getting torn.

Biting the nails is very bad for them."

The toon tree is slowly turning from its spring pink to its summer green

This week's quote comes from the 1961 "Girl Guiding - Centenary Edition" by Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. 

It is a reprint of the 1938 edition, revised from the original 1918 book.

Some advice does not change very much over the years!

Margaret xx 

Choosing Good Or Evil

"In each of us there are latent possibilities for good, also for evil; for progress upward,  or retrogression downward.

We have been given freedom to choose whether we will encourage and develop the higher side of our nature, or give way to our lower instincts. 

And whether we desire it or not, we are always cultivating one side or the other. There is no such thing as remaining stationary in the life of the soul; we are either going up, or down."

This quote was taken from Volume II of a compendium that I date to the 1920s.  It is comprised of a year's issues of the "Women's Magazine and Girl's Own Paper."

Happiness comes from making right choices!

Margaret xx 

Retiring For The Night

 

Here is today's quote:

“In retiring for the night, it is well to remember that early rising is almost impossible, if late going to bed be the order, or rather disorder, of the house.  The youngest members of a family should go early and at regular hours to their beds, and the domestics as soon as possible after a reasonably appointed hour.  Either the master or the mistress of a house should, after all have gone to their separate rooms, see that all is right with respect to the lights and fires below; and no servants should, on any account, be allowed to remain up after the heads of the house have retired.”

This little gem of wisdom was written by Mrs Isabella Beeton in her 1861 book “Beeton’s Book of Household Management.”  This book became a famous English compendium on how to run a home (with servants), and how to cook almost anything. 

The book I own is a first edition facsimile and makes a fascinating read.

Margaret xx 

Show A Sunny Disposition

"Cheerfulness comes from health and hope.  Animal spirits make us cheerful in the enjoyment of life and its sensations, but hope and charity give a spiritual cheerfulness, and even gayety of manner, which is very delightful.  As far as possible, we should never show gloom or melancholy to those around us.  If we carefully conceal what is unpleasant in our bodies, we should do no less with our humors or dispositions. We should never let it be seen that we are angry, cross, peevish or low-spirited, where such mental states can give disquiet or pain to others. But the best way is never to be angry, cross, peevish, fretful or disagreeable."

Wisteria is all in bloom now

I have many old books in my collection, so thought I could perhaps post a few quotes from some of them.

The above came from "The Glory of Woman or Love, Marriage and Maternity" by Monfort Allen and Amelia McGregor, published in 1896.

Imagine what the world would be like if nobody was ever disagreeable!

Margaret xx