Ahhh...The Cottage Life!

  I ensured my children were raised with manners. Old school manners in fact. They open the door for women and the elderly. They offer a coat when their wives or girlfriend get cold. They will excuse themselves if a burp sneaks out in public. I fear though that many of the other manners I taught them have gone down hill with the rest of the world.

 I am amazed at the lack of manners in society today. Oh I can hear you, "The youngsters now-a-days  have horrible manners!". I do not mean just the young, I mean people in general! I am surprised, nay, horrified at how many people seem to have forgotten their manners. I know that in my parents era  and my era as well we were all taught to "do unto others" and politeness was a key ingredient  in that.

 On a recent trip to town, I  seemed to run into bad manners wherever I went. At the supermarket, where an elderly lady found herself trapped by shopping carts. As I arrived I could see she was looking for a way out but the other patrons were blocking her cart and not noticing. I felt badly for her so took matters into my own hands and I asked the aisle blockers if they would mind moving to the side so we could get through. I received rather dirty looks from one, an "Oh, sorry" from another, but the aisle was cleared. I too moved to the side to allow the elderly lady to go by. With out a word, just a scowl on her face, she brushed past me! If someone were to do this for me I would say a "Thank you" on the way by or at the least smile and nod an acknowledgment of their help. She saw that I meant to help her.

 Now of course this is up and foremost in my mind this day, so I notice every little breach of manners that is around me. The grocery clerk, who with his very large cart full of boxes,  I had to move out of the way for when I was standing in the checkout line. A well mannered young man would have said "Thank you.". I guess he wasn't well mannered, as he just pushed by!  The man who cut me off on purpose while I was trying to get into another lane. The women who pulled into a parking spot even though it was clear I was waiting for it. The "lady" who failed to say thank you when I held the door open at Zellers for her and her baby carriage. The rude salesclerk, that when asked where I could find a certain object, pointed and said "over there" and walked away. The man standing in line sneezing away and not one "Excuse me!" to be found.

 Now I  will say this was exceptional this particular day. I do find that for the most part people in my small town are usually helpful and have good manners, from the salesclerks to the general public. Regardless, I am seeing more and more ill mannered persons throughout my travels.

 Manners seem to be dieing away. That is reflected in the young of today as well as the elderly .It will not change me though. I will remain pleasant and mannerly. I will say ( in a loud voice) "You are welcome!" to the lady who didn't say thank you when I opened the door for her. I will refrain from giving the guy who cut me off the finger and just, instead give him and evil smile. The "I'll get you later, my pretty!" type of smile. The rude store clerk will still get an "Thanks so much for your help and concern!" reply and the sneezing man will get a "Bless you!". Does this way off responding to rudeness constitute rudeness itself.? Probably and for that I am truly sorry! (See? Manners!)

SkyWatch Friday

Go to SkyWatch Friday for all the marvelous skies of the world. Enjoy the great hosts and  posts!

My Dad passed away a few years ago but even though he is gone I still say "Thanks" to him and all the service personnel who fought for our freedom in the great Worlds Wars I and II.
My Dad was a Pilot/Navigator in the RCAF in WWII. He flew in a Liberator Plane shown below. He was stationed in Egypt, India and Ceylon with the 160 Squadron RAF. In Ceylon, they were in the jungle, the air fields cut right into the middle of it. These big planes had scarce room to land.

History of Squadron 160

• 160 Squadron was originally formed at Thurleigh in England on Jan. 16, 1942.


• The ground crew were posted to the India on February 12, 1942, arriving without their aircraft.


• The squadron's aircraft were flown to Palestine in early June, 1942, from where they carried out raids on Lybia and Crete.


• Aircraft started leaving for India in October; some aircraft remained and were absorbed into 178 Sqn.


• Initial operations in India were patrols over the Bay of Bengal.


• The squadron moved to Ceylon and was engaged in shipping protection flights, minelaying, and photographic reconnaissance over Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands.


• In June 1945 the squadron converted to special duties, dropping agents and supplies over Malaya and Sumatra.


• After VJ day the squadron carried out transport duties.


• The squadron was returned to England on June 15, 1946 where it briefly converted to Lancaster GR3's until disbandment on Sept. 30, 1946


• The squadron only flew Liberator aircraft; Mk's II, III, V, VI, and VIII during WWII.

As a cottager I have a responsibility to the environment. We are located right on the lake and what we use for cleaners can have a huge impact so I decided to investigate "Green Cleaners" for home and body. There are now a fair amount of green cleaners on the market, just beware that you read the labels to see how "green". It doesn't matter where we live, we all have a responsibility to the environment! What we should be checking for are specific ingredients that do harm to the environment.I thought adding some home made cleaners would be a good start!


Lemon-scented all-purpose cleaner
1 tbsp borax
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup hot water
Mix ingredients in spray bottle (the lemon scent lingers). Use for cleaning bathroom and kitchen surfaces, as well as other water-safe surfaces. Discard any remaining cleaner and make afresh batch next time. 

Toilet bowl cleaner
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup baking soda
Pour the vinegar directly into the toilet bowl and let stand for 30 mins. Sprinkle baking soda onto toilet brush and scour.
To keep bowl fresh, pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl once a month and let stand overnight. Alternatively, pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet bowl before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush.


Furniture polish
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
Mix in spray bottle. Spray liberally on wood surfaces and wipe dry.
 
Drain Opener
1-1/2 cups vinegar
2 tbsp baking soda
Pour the ingredients into the clogged drain. Wait 5 min, and turn on the hot water. Repeat if necessary.
 
Polishing silver 
Line a glass pan or pot with tinfoil. Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda and salt. Pour in boiling water. Leave silverware to soak. Polish with toothpaste and rinse. 
 
Glass Cleaner
1 part vinegar
1 part alcohol
1 part water
Mix in a spray bottle and use to clean windows or any other glass, chrome and stainless steel surfaces, and tile.
 
I also found this web page on making your own soap and shampoos. I may have to think about that one! Hmm..... How much time have I got on my hands?

 
These are the "bad" ingredients we need to look for:

Triclosan/Triclocarbon - used as antibacterials in liquid soaps and toothpaste
 
Benzophenone - A UV blocker used to keep sunlight from damaging liquid soaps, shampoos and scents. It is a mild estrogen mimic.
 

Parabens(methyl. propyl, butyl, benzyl) Another week estrogen mimic and suspected endocrine disruptor   
Parfum/fragrance - persistent synthetic musk's, look for natural fragrances from natural essential oils
 
EDTA - a product that binds to metals to soften water and keeps products stable
 
Look for Canada's Environmental Choice certification on soaps and shampoos. They have been tested for biodegradability, don't contain the banned product phosphate and harmful products like EDTA, alkylphenol ethoxylates, surfactants that break down to produce nonyphenols.
 
We are paying for the fact that we are a time consumed people and tend to look for the fastest, cheapest way of doing things. I know I do. Unfortunately we are seeing the effects in nature, all around us!I think though, with a little bit more elbow grease and good ingredients we can accomplish the same, if not better results. I found this great list of how to make your own cleaning agents online. Simple ingredients and said to work wonders!