Did you know that the colder the outhouse, the warmer the bed?
Did you know you should invite lots of folks to supper because you can always add more water to the soup?
Did you know a good neighbour knows when to visit and when to leave?
Did you know the softer you talk, the closer folks will listen?
Did you know you should visit old people who can’t get out because someday you will be old?
Those bits of wisdom come from a Facebook post on a friend’s timeline and credit goes to the writings called “Wise advice from a farmer’s wife.”
The farmer’s wife had other homilies that could be applied nicely to today’s living, but those mentioned caught my attention more than others, perhaps because I had often heard those or similar pieces of advice from ladies and gentlemen around me when I was growing up in a rural community. Some bits of advice were mystifying then but now I understand the message and the lesson.
This particular farmer’s wife had another piece of advice which I heard as a child and to this day, I subscribe to the theory of sharing put forth by the farmer’s wife and to my Mother who had her own version.
“Whenever you return a borrowed pie pan, make sure its got a warm pie in it,” said the farmer’s wife.
“Never return an empty dish,” said my Mother.
And so my Sister and I still live by this rule. We don’t necessarily put a warm pie in dishes we return to their owners, but the thought is there, and it is the thought that counts, after all.
At Christmas when the Sibling sends home the containers that might have included home baking, some extra turkey and dressing, bit of gravy and a hefty portion of turnips, there is always a little something in at least one of the dishes. It might be a muffin, a brownie, or some candies but she never forgets to send something home in one of the dishes.
I return the favour when I have containers to send back to her house. It might be a few crackers, some cough candies from the candy drawer and if she’s really lucky, I might send a bit of homemade soup, a piece of Christmas cake I’ve saved in the fridge. Or if she’s unlucky, it might be one or two brussels sprouts.
When my nephew and niece moved to Moose Jaw, they very kindly began sharing with us and we especially enjoyed her Christmas baking and that mix she makes with cereals and pretzels and other things. I always make an effort to find something to put in her dishes.
One day I made the comment that I didn’t have anything to put in her container and she looked at me and asked if that was a Moose Jaw custom or a family custom? She had never heard of it until she moved to Saskatchewan. I tried to explain. She is too polite to come right out and say we’re goofy but she might just be thinking it.
We still have a Christmas container that has to be returned someday. Maybe after social distancing is no longer the rule, we will return her container — with something edible inside.
Meanwhile, here’s another gem from the farmer’s wife: “You’ll never catch a runnin’ chicken but if you throw seed around the back door, you’ll have a skillet full by supper.” Yum!
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
