Spanish Needles–A Pesky Plant or a Home Remedy?

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, December 9, 1912: Get in the Spanish Needles and had to pick them off of my clothes.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Spanish Needles are so annoying—

I have often gotten Spanish Needles on my clothes, but when I read this diary entry I couldn’t picture what the plants looked like . I never seem to notice the pesky plant until after tiny barbs are embedded in my cloths.

I googled Spanish Needle and discovered that it is part of the Astor family. There are several different closely related plants that are called Spanish Needle. Some have yellow flowers. . others have white flowers.

Grandma probably was just distracted and bumped against the Spanish Needle plants, but there’s a slim possibility that she was trying to gather Spanish Needle leaves (Are the leaves still on the plants in December?) to make tea and got the needles on her clothes.

For the past week or so, Grandma’s been sick with a bad cold and sore throat—and Spanish Needles are an old-fashioned remedy.

Its leaves are chewed for sore throat or boiled to make a tea that is said to help with upper-respiratory infections.

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Christmas Songs and Carols A Hundred Years Ago

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, December 8, 1912: Didn’t go to Sunday School this morning, partly because I didn’t think it would be very good for me to go out today.

DSC05015.crop — Source: Ladies Home Journal (December, 1911)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Sounds like Grandma still wasn’t feeling very well. Hope she gets better soon. Since she didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a list of winter and Christmas songs that was in an old Ladies Home Journal magazine.

MUSIC FOR THE SEASONS

Winter

Snow Man

When the Snow is on the Ground

Jack Frost

Tracks in the Snow

Snow Flakes

Coasting

Winter Jewels

Snowballs

Sleighing Song

Little White Feathers

Jacky Frost

Christmas

Old Santa Claus

Once a Little Baby

Once Unto the Shepherds

In Bethlehem Stable

The First Christmas

Christmas Carol

A Christmas Song

Carol, Brother, Carol

Christmas Day in the Morning

Christmas Eve

O! Holy Night

Silent Night

Holy Night; Holy Child

Carol, Children, Carol

Martin Luther Christmas Carol

While Shepherds Watched

While Stars of Christmas Shine

The First Christmas Song

The First Christmas

A Christmas Carol

Santa Claus

Do You Believe in Santa Claus?

A Christmas Party

The Christmas Tree

Ladies Home Journal (December, 1913)

Whew, it’s astonishing how few of the songs I know. I would have guessed that Christmas carols hadn’t changed much across the years. Though—now that I’m looking more carefully at the list— I realize that some of the songs might be the same, just the names have changed.

Old-fashioned Crocheted Bags

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, December 7, 1912: Am still ailing. Glad tis Saturday, so I don’t have to miss school.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

It’s no fun to be sick! I often do handwork or crafts when I don’t feel well. I wonder if Grandma was feeling good enough to make any Christmas presents.

The November, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal showed some awesome crocheted bags that she might have been able to make.

Visit From Last Year’s Teacher

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, December 6, 1912: This morning arose feeling quite miserable for I believe I have the sore throat. Had an awful day of it at school, nor did I do much studying. Our last year’s teacher Mr. Northrop visited us this afternoon.

Building that once housed the McEwensville School. It was a 1-8 school when Uncle Carl attended it. (When Grandma was a student, the building housed both elementary and high school grades. — Building that once housed the McEwensville School.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Poor Grandma, it’s sad that she felt bad on the day her old teacher visited.

Grandma always really liked Mr. Northrop—though she often gave him a hard time. For example, she once got into trouble for snooping at his desk. She found a drawing of a ring on his desk, and wrote “My Diamond” beneath it.

I think that Mr. Northrop was a very young teacher and that he often socialized with the students. For example, one evening he fell through the ice while skating with students.

Mr. Northrop’s first name was Howard, but Grandma always referred to him in the diary as Jake or Jakie, which I never could figure out. He must seem a little older now to her, and deserving of the title “Mr.”

1912 Christmas Decorating Idea: Wreathes and Garlands

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Thursday, December 5, 1912: Around the same as Dec. 3.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

The December 3 diary entry said, “Nothing much to write.” I guess that it was a slow day around the Muffly house.

Since Grandma didn’t write much I’ll share some holiday decorating ideas from the December 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal .

Looking Forward to Christmas Vacation

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, December 4, 1912: Will be glad I think when vacation is here. Have ever too many things to do then.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I can read this diary entry two ways.

There’s so much that needs to be done in December, and sometimes I feel like I’m being pulled in a thousand directions –so it seems like Grandma must have felt the same way. When I first read the diary entry, I thought that Grandma was very busy with school and looking forward to her upcoming Christmas vacation.

But. . . when I read carefully, I don’t think that is exactly what she meant.

It almost sounds like she was bored now, and was looking forward to her vacation when she’d be busier. . . with shopping? . . . with holiday baking? . . with Christmas parties?

Did People Get Sick More a Hundred Years Ago?

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, December 2, 1912: Wasn’t feeling very well today. Think cold is improving.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Did people get sick more a hundred years ago than they do now? This was Grandma’s four cold since the beginning of September. And, her mother and brother Jimmie also were sick.

Here’s a summary of the Muffly family ailments during Fall 1912:

September 1