Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Early immigrants to America often spoke of the filthy people they encountered along their journey. There was evidence that many didn’t bother to bathe weekly or monthly. Some believed that the oily coating on their skin helped to ward off all manner of ills that opening up the pores through the washing could lead to.
Actually, bathing was very, very uncommon amongst the ancestors in Europe until the late 1700s. Some women were known to use a wet cloth to wipe only their face. There are well known stories of royalty taking a few baths during their lifetime. King Louis XIV of France had bathed only three times in his entire life!
When indoor plumbing had not come into use in homes, a pitcher pump at the sink was the source of water. Some people would have called bathing by this method a spit bath, sink bath, or sponge bath. By the early twentieth century, many homes had a porcelain washbowl and pitcher to use for personal cleanliness. The source of water was either by a close spring, or a dug well which usually had a wooden bucket on a rope. By hand-cranking a windlass, several gallons of water would be brought up to be transferred into other containers for the house.
Water for bathing or washing clothes was heated by fire. If soap was used as part of the bathing ritual, it was most likely homemade lye soap that did not produce suds in hard water and was irritating to the skin.
Having indoor plumbing has made it much easier for taking a bath. Actually, there is no excuse for one to be filthy today. Washing clothes on a regular basis takes the sweaty odor out of the equation.
Life’s instructions to live by include the following:
- Sign up for a volunteer program.
- Call one’s grandparents.
- Acknowledge one’s mail carrier.
- Tell one’s kids that one is proud of them.
- Help out a senior citizen
The earlier part of the week found 40 degrees in this community, and 36 at Olin Hoover’s down Thorn Creek. Temperatures keep climbing higher by the end of the week. Lillies are blooming along the roadways, allowing for beauty to reign. The rains Wednesday night has brought about healthier looking garden plants.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” — George Washington
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” — Abe Lincoln
“Stop longing. You poison today’s ease, reaching always for tomorrow.” — Robin Hobb
“When you see the right thing to do, you’d better do it.” — Paul Neuman
“There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” — Mr. Rogers
On the front porch, sitting on the swing is the best place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
The South Fork Firemen’s lawn party was a huge success. The music by Roy Propst and Wayne Harman was enjoyed by the crowd. The food was delicious, and the fireworks were splendid. It is “a must” to donate to this volunteer group as they are always “on the watch” ready to give a helping hand for those in need.
Sunday’s Mitchell reunion at New Market Park had a good attendance. There is something to be said about reunions…the variety of food is always delicious. Traveling to attend and to be guests of Tom and Paula Mitchell were Mitchell and Peggy Moore, along with Karen, Lucas, and Julia Butsky of Raleigh, North Carolina. Other weekend visitors were Sharon and Jeff Hughes of Manassass, Virginia, John Hughes of Mineral, Virginia, Cynthia Hughes of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Jennifer Hoover of Bridgewater, Virginia, and Cary and George Hevener.
Dr. Ed Rader of Davis visited Friday in the home of Willard and Judy Rader.
Shaun, Ava and Leslie Bowers and Wes, Holly, Marley and Owen Champ returned home after two weeks of traveling west. They visited the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, and then traveled to South Dakota and visited the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Black Hills, Needles Highway and Crazy Horse. Then, they stopped at Devils Tower and spent a couple of days on a working ranch in Prey, Montana. They traveled to Cody, Wyoming, for three days and went to the Buffalo Bill Museum and Buffalo Bill Dam and attended a rodeo. They stopped in St. Louis, Missouri, on the way home and went up into the arch. Everyone had a great trip.
Bobbie, Tracy, Connor and Kinsley Armstrong spent a few days at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland this past week.
Donna Sue and Bill Arrington headed this past weekend to Pearisburg, Virginia, to attend the wedding of Bill’s best friend’s daughter.
This week’s clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- The Chinese attached rockets to their arrows to make them fly farther.
- Closets were originally private rooms where kings held secret meetings.
- A full-grown hippopotamus has a stomach over 10 feet long.
- Natives of New Guinea sometimes wear ceremonial masks that are 19 feet high.
- Hair grows faster in the morning than any other time of the day.
July birthdays are as follows: Terry Harper, fourth, and Olin Hoover (Lower Thorn),12th.
Concerns for this week are many, and they are as follows: Charles Anderson, the Dale Bland family, Bill Brackman, Scherry Chambers, Charlotte Copley, Jeff Craig, Jeff Evick, Lee Roy and Ina Evick, Mary Eye, Ron Gilkeson, Lola Graham, Marlene Harman, Ramona Harman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Starr Hedrick, George Hevener, Rose Hinkle, Virgil Homan, Jr., Charlie Marie Hoover, Lorena Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie Horst, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Margaret Kiser, Rex Landis, Angela Lung, Linda Malcolm, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Neil McLaughlin, Naomi Michael, Joe Moats, Lincoln Moore, Ernie Morgan, Aaron Nelson, Kathy Nelson, Ken and Ruth Nelson, Bennie Nesselrodt, Betty Hoover O’Donnell, Cheryl Paine, Sutton Parrack, Betty Lou Propst, Kara Propst, Linda Propst, Nathan Propst, Sheldon Propst, Pam Rexrode, Donna Ruddle, Bernie Sasscer, Barbara Simmons, Emily Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Charlie Sites, Ona Smith, Stanna Smith, the Steve Smith family, the Berlie Sponaugle family, Patricia Swecker, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Jack Vogel, Judy Waggy, the Dottie Warner family, Amby Waybright, Jr., Ron White, Judy Williams, Junior Wimer, Larry Wimer, Carol Windett, the people of Ukraine and the victims of the Uvalde, Texas.
Cutline:
Phoebe Jane Snyder Puffenbarger was the daughter of the late Benjamin Franklin and Mary Snyder and the wife of the late George Washington Puffenbarger. She was born Sept. 8, 1868, and died July 17, 1941. She is buried in the St. Michael Lutheran Church Cemetery.
