Strange stuff I've never heard of.

I have to share this oddity. While cleaning out the kitchen cabinets at Gram's house, I came upon a pill bottle with a white powder in it. The label was hand written, so not completely legible, but as best I could make out the label said "Hawks Horn". My mother, daring soul that she is, opened the bottle to smell it. She about fell over because it strongly smelled of ammonia. We threw the bottle in the trash, but I got to thinking about it this evening so I looked up hawks horn on the internet. Didn't get any hits, so I tried a few other combinations, not completely sure that the word was "hawk" on the label. I called Mom and she suggested putting in the word ammonia with hawks horn in the search bar. After a bit of wandering, I came up with the answer. The bottle contained Harts Horn, which smells like ammonia and is/was used as a smelling salt. Learn something new every day.

Now, to let everyone have a good laugh at my expense, I did not throw the bottle in the trash with the rest of the garbage. I put it in a small baggie and when we stopped at the gas station before heading home that night I threw it in the trash at the gas station. I just didn't know what it was and didn't want it anywhere near my family! Isn't that silly? Superstitious? Maybe. But I didn't know what it was or what it was used for at that time and it seemed weird to me. I didn't want anything to do with it.

In cleaning things out, I found some embroidered pillow cases that Gram had started. The embroidery was done, they just needed to have the ends sewn closed. I brought them home and did that. They are going into the washer with the next load and I will put them on the bed.

Gram didn't do much sewing in her later years, but did have a nice sewing machine. It is an older Kenmore, similar to the one I have and use and love. Her machine has not seen much use, and I'm really excited about the fact that Mom gave it to me. I'm going to give it a good cleaning and oiling, then cross my fingers and turn it on! If it runs as well as mine, I will be pleased as punch. Mine is quite the workhorse. I would take my machine in good condition over a new one any day. There's something to be said for metal gears and quality workmanship.