Thursday, September 24, 2020

TAD with Rain Crops and Farming

Hi Everyone!

I am running so late with this post. My days truly fly by. Today is Thursday Art Date with Rain
Her theme this week is Crops and Farming. Wellllll.... if you stop by my blog you know
I grew my first garden this year. I think that falls under crops and you 
can go to older posts to see the grand harvest I got. 
However, I want to talk about cotton today. I am drawn to raw cotton. 
I have some in my house. 

 


 


This is a little corner in my house.
Did you know? Some historians believe Catherine Greene devised the cotton gin and Eli Whitney merely built it and applied for the patent, since at that time women were not allowed to file for patents. Others believe the idea was Whitney's but Greene played an important role as both designer and financier.

When I was little I would take my brothers and sister out back of my Nan's house to play in the cotton fields. This was Mesa, AZ. They have been gone a long time now.
Mulford Windsor Ranch
Mesa, AZ.
 
The contrasts



I have a friend in SC. that her grandpa still works in the 
oldest running cotton mill.
Many old mills, not just cotton, have been turned into beautiful inside malls
with unique shops and eateries. 
Why did cotton disappear?
 
During the war, cotton could no longer be exported to the foreign markets and those countries, particularly Japan, set up their own factories. ... The demand for British cotton slumped and mill owners put cotton workers on short time, or closed the mills altogether.
So why do I like cotton. There is something magical about running through a row of growing cotton. Even if you do get scratched by the thorns. It feels like a what I would think a cloud feels like and the raw cotton brings luck and prosperity. So what's not to like
 
There is a long, rich and sad history to cotton and if you are interested just type in 
the history of cotton to find many excellent sites on it.
 
Enjoy your day
 
PS. New blogger again has changed my text and photo placement.
 
Nicole/DVArtist 
Honor and integrity in art, in life. 
beadwright.com

21 comments:

Gillena Cox said...

Very interesting info. The fields nearest me, growing up in Chaguanas, Trinidad were sugar cane fields and rice fields
Happy Thursday Nicole

Much💜love

Luiz Gomes said...

Boa tarde amei a matĂ©ria. Do algodĂŁo vĂȘem tantas coisas maravilhosas para a nossa vida.

craftytrog said...

Such an interesting post Nicole! Thanks for sharing.
Alison xx

Christine said...

Lovely to learn more about cotton, great post

Valerie-Jael said...

Interesting to read about cotton. Many years back, in my teens, I worked on the cotton fields in a Kibbutz in Israel. Have a great day, VAlerie

Cathy Kennedy said...

Nicole,

Our sheets are flannel cotton. I used to only put them on the bed when the weather was the coldest but now I keep them on year round. They feel so comfy cozy no matter what time of year. I like cotton clothing, too. I've never been in a cotton field but I'm sure I'd be sneezing like crazy, so it's a good thing. Fabulous post!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I never heard before about Catherine Greene's involvement in the creation of the cotton gin -- it figures! Thanks for the info!

//><\ said...

Bleubeard and Elizabeth here using my friend's account. I have NO phone or internet, but want you to know I appreciate you stopping by and leaving such kind comments.

Barbara said...

Ah Nicole, I too have a fondness for cotton! We were driving past a field once on our way south, and I asked my husband to stop next to a cotton fired. I just had to look and touch. I’m a Jersey girl born and bred so had never seen this!

Veronica Lee said...

What a fascinating post! I too am a big fan of cotton.

Happy Friday!

Iris Flavia said...

I don´t even know if cotton does grow here? Not in my area of Northern Germany, I guess.
Yes, cotton to me is slavery, that´s how we grew up, stupid, single information!

Blogger drives me nuts, too. You always have to adjust to what you want. Click "enter" and weeee, start at zero.
Hope they get it straight soon. It´s for free, so...

Elkes LebensglĂŒck said...

thank you for your touching life story and photos of what you experienced earlier with the cotton harvest.
I just knew that slavery used to be there and that little money was made from movies. You had to experience a lot there.
Blogger made me crazy this morning too. It is terrible.
I wish you a beautiful weekend!
Greetings Elke

Lisabella Russo said...

I love your cotton corner, it looks like a gallery display. Thanks for all of the nifty information on cotton.

Gillena Cox said...

Happy PPF Nicole, thanks for dropping by my blog today


Much💜love

NatureFootstep said...

how wonderful. I too find the cotton plant very beautiful. I actually have a few of them that I picked on a travel to Peru many years ago. A nice memory.

Divers and Sundry said...

You have cotton in your house! :) I have a cotton boll tree ornament. I lived next door to a cotton gin for a few years when I was a young adult out in the country in West Tennessee. That's not an experience I'd recommend. Cotton means a lot to us here in Memphis, and we even have a cotton museum downtown.

Haddock said...

Good to see the cotton farms and cotton picking.

Bernhard said...

nice

LA Paylor said...

the family story says my grandmother picked cotton in Alabama as a child... poor farmers...I was adopted into a Southern family with lots of stories. I just remember Granny taught me quilting, made the best teacake cookies, and never had a bra so by the time I knew her, she used a belt to hold things up.
LeeAnna

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

Like you I love cotton, but it is the cotton sheets and clothing that I love. I have never had the pleasure of running through a field of cotton, but can imagine in my mind the joy you have expressed. Cotton has been displaced for many years by "polyester" which doesn't have to be ironed, but it also doesn't breath and makes you hot and uncomfortable ... one reason I think cotton is coming back. This was an interesting post, Nicole ... I learned something new and I love the idea of still learning, even at my age :) Stay safe ...

Andrea @ From the Sol

Rain said...

Nice photos of the cotton fields Nicole :) I didn't know about the history of it. I'd love to feel some raw cotton...I'm sure it's not like those cotton balls in the stores at all! :) Oh the new Blogger, yes, they had the photo stuff spot on for my liking...and then they changed it again grrrrr.