PRACTICAL PARSIMONY: Books for a Certain Lifestyle: Part II

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Books for a Certain Lifestyle: Part II

Alternate titles--

Books for a Parsimonious Lifestyle

Books for Creative Living

Books to Feed the Soul

You know that I love books, right? I love books gotten inexpensively. None of these were full-price, and I assure you that none cost me over a dollar. Some may have been a quarter or free.

Book of Herbs

This book has identification pictures, history, herb garden photos, recipes and more. The cover is brilliantly colored, but tonight, I had little luck with pictures.

Back To Basics

"How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills" I don't know how many editions of this book were released. This is the 1981 edition, presumably the first.

The Complete Book of Herbs

A practical guide to growing and using herbs

The title does not lie. There are many pictures for id, recipes, medicinal uses, pictures of dishes made with herbs. potpourri and dying. The color is beautiful.

You might think that with all the books on herbs that I possess that I would be capable of identifying herbs. I feel clueless except for mint and basil. I read these and enjoy them. The first group of books are the ones I am most familiar with. I told my friends in Birmingham that herbs put me to sleep each night. When they asked, and I explained that I went to bed with a book of pretty pictures and lay in bed for a bit before sleep, they laughed. I no longer do that. sigh. I do know a bit, but not as much as others.

On the table beside me were books in a stack. On the bookshelf nearby more of these herb and lifestyle books were shelved. A friend looked at the stack and then at my shelf.

"I am going to have to come back some day and borrow a few of your herb books, so I can learn more."

I laughed. That night all herb books were taken to the mantle in my bedroom. She never mentioned it again.

Your turn

Have you had the pleasure of enjoying these books? What are some of your favorite herb/plants/lifestyle books?

9 comments:

LindaMMay 9, 2012 at 2:29 PM
They all look amazing! I like Rosemary Gladstars books- I have two but the titles evade me. I like them because she really does know what she's doing with herbs and she's a great teacher/ writer. Not much gardening based books or even craft based herbal books on my shelves.
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AnonymousMay 11, 2012 at 1:18 AM
The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs [with supplement] by Mark Blumenthal(one of 500+ favorites )
I like yor blog

regards wimmera austalia
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LindaMay 11, 2012 at 6:44 AM
LindaM,
The craft-based herbal part in my books does not interest me at all...lol. I have never heard of Rosemary Gladstone, but now I probably will. Thanks for the information.

Anon,
I have never heard of the Mark Blumental book and will look it up now. I understand the 500+ favorites thing. Thanks you for the recommendation. I am glad you like my blog. Australia is the #1 place I would like to visit!
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AnonymousMay 11, 2012 at 7:28 AM
I hope one day you will come to Australia.
I am a qualified medical herbalist and love herbs .
You will see when you come.
Regards wimmera
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LindaMay 11, 2012 at 8:29 AM
Anon,
Do you have a blog? After back surgery, knee surgery, and shoulder surgery, and winning the lottery, I will be in Australia to visit. It is at the top of my list. Fear of flying with terrorist about will be difficult to overcome.
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AnonymousMay 12, 2012 at 3:18 PM
I do not have a blog. I have never really seen the point in keeping a blog.

regards wimmera
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LindaMay 12, 2012 at 3:21 PM
Wimmera,
Okay. LOL...I suppose there is no point, really, in having a blog. I just wondered. I am glad you read mine.
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AnonymousMay 12, 2012 at 4:29 PM
your blog is interesting and enjoyable.

wimmera
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LindaMay 12, 2012 at 6:20 PM
wimmera,
Thank you.
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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.

The Cast

Fancy is my favorite hen. She is one of the three youngest hens I adopted. Because she is so gentle and friendly, she may be the one I rescued when she was being pecked to death after she could no longer stand. She got to live in the house in a box. Sometimes, I let her sit in my lap while she was convalescing. Now, she comes to sit in the swing with me, cuddling up to my body like a cat or dog. She died in February 2012.

Fancy follows me begging, complaining, needing me to do for her. She talks to me in various voices. She allows me to pick her up and carry her. When she became an adult, her head was a darker red and her body was light brown. Around her neck were tips of black feathers. It appeared she had a necklace of jet around her neck. When I showed this characteristic to a friend, he said, "Oh, you have fancy chickens and plain chickens."

Chessie has a broken toe. I broke it! She had a habit of jumping really high and almost sticking. A raccoon ate her in October 2009.

Thelma is the blonde. She is also the largest hen and the alpha hen. I suspect the gigantic eggs are from her. She often squats and presents herself to me. She is top hen, but I suspect she knows she had better be deferent to top feeder of the flock--me.

Louise is the auburn-feathered hen. She looks like the true Rhode Island Reds in pictures. She is almost as large as Thelma. Some days I suspect she is trying to be top chicken. When I got Pepper, I found out Louise is the Alpha hen.

Pepper came here from the same home as the first four. We were discussing putting red pepper on their food, wondering if it really would increase egg production. Pepper is the only name we agreed on. She is terrorized each day by Louise. Even after the worst was over, she was and is still filled with terror and very wary.

Linda is owned by four hens. They allow her to fetch for them. She loves them dearly, so she allows them to boss her around. Linda comes out in the rain to perform chores for them and make sure they have food and water. She begs scraps from all sorts of places to make sure they have fresh fruits and vegetables.

Parsimony is not a vegetable

Parsimony is extreme care in spending money. Stick around and learn about my random thoughts on accomplishing goals economically--dumpster diving aka safari, gleaning, do-it-yourself, sewing tips, recipes, and whatever is happening in my life.

Okay so maybe "parsimony" is not your thing. How about thrift, frugality or just plain saving money? I try not to go the tightwad route as that seems to imply others will suffer from my habits.

Some of my not-spending habits have very much been a part of my lifelong habits. Other habits are newly acquired and are an extension of my lifelong not-spending habits.

I am very imaginative when it comes to substituting or making instead of buying. I will tell you about making a heater for the chickens' water. Not one dime was spent since I had everything I needed right in my basement.

Practicality must rear its head alongside parsimony. For example, I will use the dryer in bad weather or because of allergies in the spring. But, I will not wash clothes in a tub as long as I have a washing machine or can find one.

You may hear more about my four Rhode Island Red hens than you care to hear. They lay delicious brown eggs.

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Books for a Certain Lifestyle: Part II

9 comments: