Moving On

My siblings and I are clearing out my Dad’s house. Dad has moved and the house contains so much stuff… drawers and cabinets filled with near-ancient things, closets full of clothing and shoes, newspaper clippings, books, photos.  We’re coming across things from years back that he has used practically forever; amazingly, most things still function, although a lot worse for the wear. We’re sharing stories and laughing about private family jokes; it’s a time for transition and reflection, looking at what works in life and what doesn’t.  One thing for sure, Dad didn’t spend money on fancy gadgets, he kept things simple. If it performed well and got the job done, there was no use chucking it.

As we have sorted through, we found a slide ruler, and I called dibs on Dad’s old wooden folding “tape” (I always wanted to play with it when I was a kid, but I knew I’d best leave it alone for fear of breaking).  And then the kitchen ware; we found tried and true cast iron skillets, dishes that have stood the test of time and are now “collectables”, real silverware, old tea kettles, a simple ice cream scoop, a hand-powered juicer, and oh my gosh, even a wooden washboard and wash tub–no thank you, I’ll take my modern washer and dryer.

But you know, even though things have changed, these precursors to “modernity” assisted in a job well done.  The reasons were quality, function, design, appearance… a complete “package” of sorts that simply did what it was designed to do. Yeah… that’s where I’m headed… J.R.LIGGETT’S Shampoo Bar.  An old-fashioned concept wrapped up in a modern package.  A well-designed, well thought out product that fills the bill, that gets the job done without a lot of bells and whistles.  Not a lot of fanfare or fancy foot-work, just a down to earth shampoo that makes it happen.  That’s all it needs to do!  Leaves your hair clean, shiny and healthy without added strange, unpronounceable chemicals. Doesn’t harm the environment, no plastic bottle to add to the landfill, easy to transport, mild enough for a body soap, shaving cream, wash out a garment, wash up a dish…

J.R.LIGGETT’S has withstood the test of time.  And even though this shampoo bar could stand chest puffed out and all proud and smug-like, it’s really not necessary, cause quality stands for itself–it makes it own statement;  it just keeps on keepin’ on… 

We could have found a bar of J.R.LIGGETT’S amongst Dad’s stuff (actually, I found two bars that I had sent him), because you don’t throw out something that works… You keep it, you use it, and you tell others about it… just like I’m doing. Will you tell others too?

Joy Richter                                                                                 ©copyright 2012 J.R.LIGGETT LTD

The photo above:  No, not Dad’s house.  Located in the Mira Valley, outside Ord, Nebraska. I’ve passed by this house for years and finally stopped and nabbed some shots.

Time to call in reinforcements: “Use it up, wear it out…

When J.R.LIGGETT says, “Use it up, wear it out… I take that literally. And when he says his shampoo bar is “Old-Fashioned”, that doesn’t mean out of style. Because thrift, wisdom and quality are attributes that are applicable to my life and yours.

When I shampoo my hair and wash my face with J.R.LIGGETT’S Shampoo Bar, the mild, soft scent takes me back to my childhood as I stood on the steps of my Grandma’s ‘wash house’– a detached building  just a few feet away from her back door, where she would do her laundry in an old wringer washer, and then hang the clean clothing on a line which stretched across the chicken yard!   Grandma Ruby, who was born long before the Titanic was even built, was a thrifty, wise, and loving soul, who knew the value of a dollar (worth much more than now), the necessity of hard work, and that an item of quality meant that it was worth the price. 

Grandma Ruby had milk cows, hogs, and chickens. She sold milk for income, butchered the hogs and chickens for food, sold eggs, and worked a vegetable garden. She didn’t have to ‘get back to the land’–she was already there!  She became a widow in her early 30’s, and had never been a spendthrift, but now with 5 children to raise on her own, stretching a budget was top priority. I love that I was able to witness some of Grandma’s frugal ways, and my own mother’s also, as their penny-pinching habits are right ‘in style’ in today’s economy.  These were times of very little conveniences, physically hard work, and ‘making do’ was the norm. 

When an item of clothing had been passed down to the last child and was worn out, it became a quilt. Shoes were repaired on old iron shoe stays, and a chipped or cracked cup saw new life as a toy dish. When a hog was butchered, the saying was, “everything was used except the squeal”. Chickens became dinner on the table, and it’s feathers filled beds and pillows–I even have a feather-filled pillow of my Grandma’s!  Family time was entertainment time, as Grandma never had a TV during her entire life.

When Grandma had finished washing the laundry or dishes, the water was recycled on her flowers or garden, and she employed Old Man Sun (solar!) to dry the clothes. Paper bags were saved and re-used–ditto the rare newspaper– and paper towels were unheard of; she used washable rags.  An envelope arrived in the mail?  Turn it over and use the back side for her market list.  She had no air conditioning nor fans, instead, enormous Maple trees protected her house from the sun, and she would pull shades on the south side and close the windows before noon to keep in the morning coolness. A cast iron wood stove heated the house in the winter, and sometimes I’d find a baby pig in a wood, straw-filled box next to the stove–Grandma had brought it in so it would not freeze.  Vegetables were canned and cakes were home-baked with fresh ingredients.  She knew where her food came from–just across the feed lot!  Milk contained no artificial hormones, and her chickens were ‘free range’–the yolks of the eggs were practically orange. 

No microwave, no dishwasher, no dryer, no car, and the only ‘electronics’ that sucked up energy was an AM/FM radio that she turned on once a day to listen to the farm report on grain prices, and the occasional Major League baseball game. Grandma would place an upside down plate over leftovers, she’d use her homemade lye soap for washing her hair and her clothes, cooking grease was saved and used again, and leftover food was never thrown out.

Hard work, integrity, honesty, resourcefulness, and caring for others, our lives, and our world… these are attributes of Grandma Ruby and J.R.LIGGETT’S.  “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”  Not an out of style-out of date concept by any stretch of the imagination! 

Are you eyeing a paper-thin slice of shampoo bar? Don’t do without! Click here for reinforcements!

Joy Richter  2012                 ©copyright 2012 J.R.LIGGETT LTD

Old Fashioned?

Mom’s apple pie. Rocking chairs. The Ford Corporation’s Mustang.  The ‘Little Black Dress’. What do these have in common?  Tried and true.  Classic.  Longevity.  Staying power.

The description, ‘old fashioned’ often causes us to quickly dismiss a way of thinking or an object without even giving it a fighting chance. For others, the term, ‘old fashioned’ brings to mind comforting, fond memories of childhood, family, or a special possession we owned.

When the tattered,  ‘home-grown’, handwritten Old New England recipe for J.R.Liggett’s shampoo bar first fluttered to the ground  from the pages of an old recipe book  he had discovered, without a doubt, I would imagine that besides his curiosity, the words, ‘old fashioned’ came to mind. A shampoo bar?  Sounds like an odd concept, but upon consideration, an idea that we might quickly and foolishly dismiss, turns out to be quite ingenious.

Made 100% by hand the ‘old fashioned’ way ( I love the hand-crafted evidence on the bar surface–the occasional nick or dent–truly hand-made!), from the meticulous measurements to mixing, heating, pouring, and cutting, J.R.LIGGETTS’ Shampoo Bars have been tried by thousands and found to be true… true to his ‘down home’, ethical, honest business practices, and his philosophy of conscience and integrity—ideas highly valued by our parents, grandparents, and those before them. Values that are still highly desirable and sought-after today. Great values and a strong work ethic never go out of style.

Wisdom, practicality, stretching our dollars… all are closely held beliefs that aren’t subject to trends or fads, they are beliefs that are “in style”.  Wisdom is given to those who seek, think, explore, discern, and learn.  J.R. designed a small, functional wooden rack to rest the shampoo bar on and to keep it dry between use–no languishing in water to slowly waste away… a practical and useful way to stretch your hard-earned money… to make it go further–for longer.

We are reminded of the familiar adage:  “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”  Old fashioned? Yes… happily and thankfully so.

Joy E. Richter  2011                              ©copyright 2011 J.R.LIGGETT LTD