Good Wives Almanac

Good Wives!!??  No, this is not a personal assertion of my wifely perfection nor is it a nod to a misogynistic past.  Goodwives is the name of a small river here in Connecticut where I live.  It is also a reference to the book Colonial Dames and Goodwives written by Alice Morse Earle chronicling the lives of colonial american women who are my ancestors.  I would like to pay homage to these strong women and am inspired by them to be more resourceful and to live a more sustainable life in this modern world.

I am a seventh generation descendant of Revolutionary War heroine Mara Sargeant Grace.  A woman who not only served bravely on the front lines at the Battle of Bunker hill but also did washing and ironing for the Washingtons; making lace caps for Martha and knitting silk  stockings for George.  Just when I think I have it tough dealing with my laundry...  I imagine that if we could transport her to our time she would be rather envious of our many modern conveniences (clothes washers especially) but I think she would also be horrified at the wastefulness of our society.

The Almanac in the title is a nod to Poor Richards Almanac that gem of simple wisdom and the Farmer's Almanac which never goes out of fashion.  I believe we can look back to learn from the collective wisdom of the past and apply it to our rapidly changing and uncertain world.  There is a lot to be said for re-cycling some old fashioned ideas and make them work for us today.  I will share what I have learned and what I stumble across and hope you will too!  

For more reading about these pioneering and pragmatic American women I highly recommend 

Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts.  

view of the Long Island Sound from our town beach