Wednesday, October 26, 2016

ANNA'S POST


As you know my Mother passed away - and my Father was over to our house with a book that had been my Mother's.  He said he tried to give it to Hannah, but when she saw what was inside, told my Father that I should have it.  Right after Mother died, he couldn't read any of the diaries she wrote.  My Mother use to write in her diary about every day.  Maybe about the weather, crops, one of us children, some place we went, a passing, maybe a prayer or saying that she heard and enjoyed, etc.  So when Father opened this one that is what he thought it was.  But it wasn't .....

What my Father had found was the book my Mother wrote with all her remedies in it.  I never knew there was such a book or that my Mother had done this.  My Father said he didn't either.  Oh, he would see my Mother write in the evening or sometimes early morning in one of her books, but just assumed it was her diary. She had several of these books that she wrote in, but Father just assumed what they are.  He started reading them and came across this one.  Men or at least all the men I know consider remedies - women's work. So this book was a women's book.

I started learning medicine from my Mother.  Not knowing she wrote her knowledge in a book, I would write them down.  Sometimes, in a hurry, I would not get all that my Mother did.  Sometimes she would try one thing and if that didn't work try something else.

Hannah was closer to my Mother than I was.  It's not that my Mother loved Hannah more than me or me more than her.  It's just that Hannah was more the type of daughter an Amish Mother would like.  Hannah loved to cook and bake - where I do it -but could think of things I'd rather do.  Hannah enjoys sewing - again I do it because I have to not because I want to.  Hannah would rather clean her house than work it the fields or barn.  I would rather be in the fields or the barn than clean my house.

So when it came to medicine, Mother wanted to teach Hannah.  Hannah had no desire to learn.  I wanted to learn. My Mother taught me, but she would rather have had Hannah.  To this day, Hannah only uses remedies when she has too.  If she can get me to do it, she is much happier.

Over the years, I learned what I could from my Mother.  I learned from other Amish ladies.  I learned from Grandmother Olive.  Amish and Mennonite ladies talking together sometimes pass remedies on that have worked for them.  I am  grateful that our son John's wife Sarah wants to learn. I am teaching her what I know.

I am getting like Elmer - off course.  So this book means so much to me.  Some of the remedies are in my Mother's best writing.  Some, you can see, were written in hurry.  Some of these have been passed from my Grandmother to my Mother, which I didn't know.  It also tells what goes with what illness or situation.  This book means so much to me.  I am leaning so many things I didn't know.  Remembering some good times.

It is also a view into my Mother.  She wrote all this so it could be passed on.  So others would know what she did.  To help others in our world.  This book makes her close to me even though she is with the Lord.

She also had some medicine sayings in there:

God cures: the doctor get the credit.

It is easy for a man in health to preach patience to the sick.

Causing a symptom to disappear is very seldom the cure of any human infirmity.  The true course is to prevent the symptom.

The wise for cure on exercise depend, God never made His work for man to mend.

Who goes to bed supperless, all night tumbles and tosses.

I have lots more of these so I may put some in time to time.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna


















11 comments:

Vanssmomc said...

Good morning Marilyn, what a treasure this book is. How lucky Anna is. Cathy in Webster

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Cathy,

I agree Anna was very lucky. That book is a real treasure.

Marilyn

Tom said...

What a gift!

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Tom,

Sure Was !

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a blessing! Glad your daughter-in-law is interested in learning from you the knowledge needed re: remedies. God bless, Carol

Vickie said...

What a special gift to receive. This was a very interesting post.

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Carol,
That is a blessings !! Will see that Anna gets your message.

Blessings to you and yours,
Marilyn

New York State Of Mind said...

Good Morning Vickie,
That was a special gift. Glad you liked the post. Will see that Anna gets your message.

Marilyn

magnoliasntea said...

Anna, I enjoyed reading your post! I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to have a handwritten book of your mother's remedies. You are so blessed to inherit it, and I hope you will share as much of it as possible with us. I would be very grateful to learn anything you care to share. I have several modern herbal remedy books, but I think there's much more to be learned. A quick example: I have tried many remedies for a sore throat that gave no relief until I read on the A Joyful Chaos blog that her mother made a sore throat tea when she was little. She didn't know the name of the plant the tea was made from but she shared a photo, and my daughter and I were able to identify it as self-heal or heal all. I wanted to try it so I hunted for it, but it doesn't grow on our land. Our daughter in Virginia has it in her yard though and picked some for me. We tried it, and happily it works very well for sore throat. Now, I keep a supply of it to use when we need it, and I'm thankful to have that bit of knowledge.
Thank you for sharing about your mother's gift. Wonderful story.

magnoliasntea said...

Anna, I enjoyed reading your post! I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to have a handwritten book of your mother's remedies. You are so blessed to inherit it, and I hope you will share as much of it as possible with us. I would be very grateful to learn anything you care to share. I have several modern herbal remedy books, but I think there's much more to be learned. A quick example: I have tried many remedies for a sore throat that gave no relief until I read on the A Joyful Chaos blog that her mother made a sore throat tea when she was little. She didn't know the name of the plant the tea was made from but she shared a photo, and my daughter and I were able to identify it as self-heal or heal all. I wanted to try it so I hunted for it, but it doesn't grow on our land. Our daughter in Virginia has it in her yard though and picked some for me. We tried it, and happily it works very well for sore throat. Now, I keep a supply of it to use when we need it, and I'm thankful to have that bit of knowledge.
Thank you for sharing about your mother's gift. Wonderful story.

New York State Of Mind said...

Hi magnoliasntea,
I will see that Anna gets your message. I know she is very happy that she got her Mother's book. Maybe I can get her to put some posts on remedies, teas, herbs, etc. I will thank her for sharing about the book with us.

Marilyn