The Tingle Factor Box

Roy Creates Walnut Caramel Slice

Recently, Roy had been having morning tea with some of his friends. His Aunty Jill had made her fabulous Walnut Caramel Slice, a recipe which Roy has been hoping to get a copy of for some time. Luckily, his Aunty Jill was willing to hand it over, and even to allow it to be used in the blog, but he still had to try making it himself. His results were fabulous – the slice was easy to make and every bit as good as he remembered. So this week, Roy Creates Walnut Caramel Slice.

She's Well Endowed! Goddess Statue

Imagine you are living in ancient times. Life is good, the crops are growing well, there is plenty of food and water, and you have been at peace for many years with the other people around you. Of course, you have the gods to thanks for this good fortune, but not just the gods. The goddesses are just as important and you must thank the mother for these wonderful things. In the little shrine you have you leave her offerings to thank her for benevolence and make sure her statue is always looked after to ensure she remains happy.

When I took this ancient Goddess statue to show the children, they were most intrigued. For most of the children, religion is something they don’t think a lot about, but they do know that there is usually just one God, who is represented as a man. Yet in ancient times, and in some other religions of today, female divinities or Goddesses were just as important. They thought this was fascinating and were intrigued to discover what sort of Goddess this statue represented. The thing which intrigued them most though was that by looking at the statue closely, they could almost work out what sort of Goddess she was. ‘She’s showing off her assets’ as one older child pointed out, so she’s probably either a goddess of love, or one of motherhood. Not such a bad guess – she’s a Mother Goddess.

Mother Goddesses have a long and important history, appearing in all of the ancient cultures in one form or another. Several small, feminine figurines have been found in excavations around the world which date from the Paeolithic era (up to 26000 years ago!) We don’t know for sure that these figures were Goddesses, but many believe this is a likely explanation for them. More figures of women appear in the Neolithic period which many also interpret to be goddesses. By the time of ancient civilisations which we know a lot about though, we know that were definitely being worshipped. The Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, AZTECS, Celtic, Germanic, Sumerian and various civilisations in the Middle East all worshipped Goddesses, some of whom were mother Goddesses. So why were mother Goddesses so popular? Motherhood is something which is common across all civilisations and in the ancient world, womens ability to give birth was mysterious, important and divine. Giving birth was also dangerous, it could lead to new life, but it could also cause death. Thus motherhood was tied with new life, death and the divine representations of mothers (mother Goddesses) were extremely powerful.

Most mother Goddess figures are represented as having exaggerated womanly features which were important to mothers (big hips and breasts for example). The statue I showed the children does not have the exaggerated hips, but is cradling her breasts, a position which is seen in the mother goddess statues of many cultures. With so many Goddesses to choose from, I cannot be sure which Goddess this statue represents, but she has some similarities to statues of Asherah, the Canaanite Mother of Gods and humans. Asherah is the most important Goddess in the ancient Canaanite religion and also appears in other cultures, but most intriguingly, is also occasionally referred to in ancient artefacts and inscriptions as the consort of Yahweh, the God of Israel and the God referred to in the Christian Old Testament.

Roaming Roy Reflects - Gloucester Tops Aboriginal Massacre

This week, Roy decided it was time to learn a little more about the Aboriginal history of Gloucester and Barrington Tops. He loves these World Heritage areas, with their beautiful scenery and fascinating history, but did not know a huge amount about the history of Aborigines in the area. While he was there, he saw a sign which mentioned a tragic event, a massacre which occurred in 1835. He wanted to know more.

Roy Creates Suet Free Fruit Mince

Roy loves Christmas. He loves the cooking and the craft and of course the eating! He also loves making things for the people he loves. Roys Grandad loves fruit mince, but he can’t usually eat the fruit mince which you can buy at the shops because it has too much sugar and too much fat. Traditional fruit mince is made with suet which is a type of animal fat, but Roy discovered a recipe for suet free fruit mince which he decided to make for his Grandad and it was delicious. So this week Roy Creates Suet Free Fruit Mince.

Note:

Roy knows this recipe contains alcohol, but this is what preserves the mix. You can substitute something else (I’ve heard cranberry juice works, or you might like to try apple cider) but the mince won’t last long. You would need to use it within a few days, or freeze it instead. If you use the alcohol it will cook off in baking.

It's A Facial Fuzz Protector - Moustache Cup

Imagine you are a man living in the late 1800s. You are very proud of your moustache and carefully spend time each morning waxing and shaping it until it holds the perfect position. The only problem though is that, if your moustache is looking its best, you cannot take tea. The steam melts the wax and eventually your moustache droops into the cup. Your son bought you a new cup though, with a ledge for your moustache. He swears by it, and you are hoping it will work for you too.

When I took this moustache cup to show the children, they immediately guessed it was a cup, but had no idea why it had a ‘funny ledge’ inside. They could think of no reason why you would want to have such a ledge in a cup, and thought it would probably make drinking somewhat difficult. When I explained to them that the cup was specially made to keep moustaches in tip top condition, they thought the idea was hilarious. The very thought that a man would be so concerned over his ‘facial fuzz’ as the girls put it, was quite strange. They immediately christened the cup the ‘facial fuzz protector’.

In the 1800s, particularly towards the middle and end of the century, moustaches were an important part of mens fashion. Men wore elaborate moustaches which were often kept quite long then styled and waxed into elaborate curls and patterns. Many men even dyed their moustaches! With so much wax and dye in this upper lip hair though, drinking hot beverages was a real problem. Tea drinking, particularly in England, was part of everyday life, but the steam from the drink melted the wax used to style moustaches and sometimes even caused the dye to run. Tea and coffee also stained the moustache if it came into contact with the hair. A solution was needed to keep moustaches in top condition.

Then, in the mid 1800s an English potter named Harvey Adams came up with an ingenious solution to melted moustaches. He added a moustache guard to his cups. This moustache guard took the form of a ledge on which the moustache could rest while the gentleman sipped his tea or coffee. There was a small opening at the edge of the guard to allow the beverage to be drunk, but the moustache would be protected from the steam, heat and liquid of the drink. Soon, the moustache cup became very popular, spreading throughout England and Europe and eventually making its way to the colonies and America. As moustaches waned in popularity in the 1900s though the moustache cup went out of production. Today there is quite a market for these old cups and collectors love them, as do people with styled moustaches. In fact, rumour has it that John Lennon even drank his tea through one during the making of Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Roaming Roy Flies Away With History - Hargraves Memorial

This week, Roy decided it was time to head to the South Coast for a day out and about in the sun. He loves the South Coast, and particularly enjoys taking the coast road and the Sea Cliff Bridge. He often stops at a place called Bald Hill to admire the view, watch the hang gliders and, occasionally, to watch the sun go down over the water. On one of his trips though, he noticed a memorial and on further investigation discovered it was an important commemoration of Lawrence Hargraves and his pioneering experiments into flight.

Roy Creates Churchill Slice

This week, Roy wanted to make a sweet treat for some of his friends. He was having a group of them to afternoon tea and wanted something delicious to contribute. He also had some time on his hands, so he thought it would be a perfect time to try one of those recipes he has been putting off as potentially ‘tricky’. This slice was one of them and while delicious, it was a little fiddly to make – but well worth it. So this week Roy Creates Churchill Slice (and no, Roy doesn't know the story behind the name - if you know, please drop us a line!)

It's Like A Massive, Oversized Hat - Parasol

Imagine, it is the late 1800s and you are a lady of high class. You are lucky because you have good, white skin and a slim figure, especially fortunate as your husband has died. It was no great shock. The marriage was arranged, he was much older than you and in poor health. He left you with a great fortune, but you’re only young and want to remarry at some time so you have to preserve your looks. One of the most important things is to protect your skin and you are careful never to go out without your parasol. You even purchased a plain, black, silk parasol, fitting for your mourning attire.

 When I showed the children this parasol their reactions were hysterical. Their first reaction was ‘it’s an umbrella, what’s so special about that’. Several of them then ran to get their own umbrellas to show that they were nothing unusual. Then, the children noticed holes in the fabric of the parasol and declared ‘it’s not even a good umbrella – you’d still get wet!’ and suggested that, if it weren’t so old, it would be time to buy a new one. Finally, one of the older children noticed that the parasol ‘isn’t even waterproof – what kind of umbrella is that?!’ When I explained to them that it was not actually an umbrella as such, but a parasol which would be used in the sun to protect the skin, they were quite surprised at the idea, but also quite taken with it. One child commented that, ‘since it’s just like a massive, oversized hat’ was ‘not a bad idea’ to keep the sun off.

Parasol is a Spanish word which literally means ‘for sun’ and they were extremely fashionable in Victorian times, but their history goes back far further. Many assume they originate in Asia, especially as they are still popular in some Asian countries. The truth though is that, Egyptians were using a very early type of parasol in 3000BC (5000 years ago) as protection from the harsh desert sun. Parasols in Egyptian times though were much bigger than those used more recently and were only for the use of Royalty. In fact, they were carried by special ‘bearers’ who stood near the King or Queen and held the parasol over their heads. These parasols were usually made of palm leaves or brightly coloured feathers. By the 1^st century BC (just over 2000 years ago), parasols had also become popular in ancient Greece and Rome where they were also used for sun protection. They were not only a fashion accessory though, in ancient Greece they were even used in some religious festivals. All of these parasols had one more thing in common though, they couldn’t be collapsed and carried.

It was the Chinese who invented the collapsible parasol, which could be ‘put down’ like the umbrellas we know today and carried or stored away easily. We know that one of these collapsible parasols was created in the year 21, but there is suggestion that others date back even further. The parasol became part of Chinese culture and it was probably these Chinese parasols which inspired the English and French to use them. They became popular in France in the 17^th century and in England they were fashionable in the 18^th century. Soon, the parasol was an essential part of all fashionable women’s wardrobes. In a time when fair complexions were valued, they not only helped protect against the sun in general, they preserved the fair skin. Sun exposure darkened the complexion and made a lady of fashion and importance look common, or even worse, like she had to work in the fields. A parasol protected the fair skin from the damage of the sun and preserved a woman’s youth and beauty.

Roaming Roy Remembers - Muswellbrook Vietnam War Memorial

This week, with Remembrance Day just around the corner, Roy wanted to visit somewhere where he could remember all the people who died for us during the various wars Australia has been involved with. Remembrance Day is most strongly associated with the First World War, as it is the day which commemorates the Armistice. Yet there are so many other wars which Australia has fought in, and Roy wanted to remember these too. Then, while in Muswellbrook he saw this beautiful Vietnam War Memorial and decided it would be a perfect place to visit.

Roy Creates A 'Housewife' Sewing Kit

This week, Roy was inspired by the Tingle Factor Item we discussed earlier this week. He had not seen such an item before and when, during our research into the history of the ‘housewife’, we came across a page which reproduced instructions for an American Civil War version (to see them click here) he had to try making one of his own. He decided he particularly liked the rolled up version which I had written up earlier in the week, so made a pattern to reproduce it. The results were fabulous, and he thought might even make great Christmas presents for sewers. So this week, Roy Creates A Housewife Sewing Kit.

You Will Need:

• Cardboard (optional)
• A washable pen or chalk pencil or lead pencil.
• Fabric. Roy used a plain white calico style fabric which he embellished with lazy daisies, but you could use a patterned fabric if you preferred.
• A Ruler
• Cotton. You can use cotton which blends with your fabric choice, or if you like choose a contrasting colour.
• Scissors
• A needle
• A piece of ribbon (Roy used a nice silk ribbon)
• Things to fill your housewife with (a little pair of sewing scissors, cottons, needles, pins, buttons etc is traditional, but it could be used for medicines or for other feminine items)
• Optional - A piece of wool felt for needles

Method:

• Cut out a rectangle 40 centimetres by 15 centimetres (or whatever size you want to make it). This measurement includes seam allowances.
• Trace the rectangle onto your fabric using a washable pen or chalk pencil.

• Carefully cut your fabric out.

• Fold the seams over as Roy has done above and pin them down. This will stop your housewife from fraying. Iron your seams flat, if desired.

• Using the needle and thread, firmly stitch the seams down. Roy just used a small running stitch.  You could do this with a machine.
• If you like, decorate the housewife before sewing the pockets. Roy used red embroidery cotton to sew lazy daisies. If you need instructions on how to sew lazy daisies, visit Roy Creates A Pillowcase Doll.

• Now, turn the two ends over (make sure the seams are on the inside) and pin them down. Oversew the sides to make two pockets. Roy made one quite deep and one shallow, but you can make them as big or small as you like.

• Now, to fill in the rest of the area. You can sew a flap of wool felt into the area inside centre of the housewife to hold needles as Roy has done (again he used running stitch), or you might like to add some loops of ribbon which can be used to hold containers, pencils or scissors in place.

• Cut a length of ribbon (Roy used red to match his daisies). Your ribbon will need to be about 20 centimetres longer than the housewife itself
• Sew your ribbon into the centre of the outside of the housewife, as Roy has done above.
• Fill your housewife with whatever you like and then roll it up and use the ribbon to tie it shut.