The past few weeks have been spent reading some old farmer’s almanacs from the mid 1800’s. They are full of useful information on being a good farmer. There are anecdotes about being a better person, raising better children, taking care of your orchards, and caring for your animals. I will be inserting some information from these almanacs which I found interesting.

                    The following was taken from an almanac [Robert B.Thomas was the editor/published in Boston] dated 1853

“The Yankee Boy and His Jackknife”

The Yankee Boy, before he’s sent to school,
Well knows the mysteries of that magic tool,
The Pocketknife.
And in the education of the lad
No little part that implement hath had.
His pocketknife to the younger whittler brings
A growing knowledge of material things;
His elder pop-gun with its hickory rod,
Its sharp explosion and rebounding wad,
His corn-stalk fiddle and the deeper tone
That murmurs from his pumpkin leaf trombone,

Conspire to teach the boy
Thus by his genius and his jackknife driven,
Ere long he’ll solve you any problem given,
Make any gimcrack, musical or mute,
A plough, a coach, an organ, or a flute.

 Make It, said I? Ay, when he undertakes it,
He’ll make the thing, and the machine that makes it;
For when his hand’s upon it, you may know
That there’s go in it and he’ll make it go!

    By John Pierpont

                    Later, I will be adding more from these almanacs as they are full of fascinating glimpses into yesterday with wisdom for today. This has been a nice week as I am on vacation. We will be spending Thanksgiving with my sister Carol’s family. It will be nice as all the cousins will be there and the kids will have a rip roaring time while the men try to watch football and the women gather in the kitchen to gab. 
                     I have been busy collecting stories from people who remember the plane crash in Redbank , South Portland, Maine in July 1944. I have been researching archives and staying on target with that project. I hope to have a nice collection of stories for SP Historical in the following months. My sister asked me to see If I could find a way to sell that little drawing I did of Redbank, entitled Greetings from Redbank. She was hoping she could get some postcards. So I decided to put them on a website in the event anyone else was interested. I put the design on mugs, pins, notecards, postcards and stickers. I only marked them up between 1-2 dollars, hopefully making them a unique and affordable item for Redbankers. They can be found at www.cafepress.com/redbankgirl    I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your families.