Sharpen the Sickle

@AnneEJ (4917)
Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
April 8, 2016 11:08am CST
Did you ever try to peel potatoes with a dull paring knife? How much easier and quicker it is when you take time to sharpen the knife first. I was thinking about a quote that I heard when I was in College a lot of years ago. "Time out to sharpen the sickle is never spent in vain." Back in the days when farmers had to harvest their crops by hand, I am sure they took time every morning to sharpen the sickle or scythe before they started to work. I think this can apply to our bodies, and how we need a certain amount of sleep every day in order to function properly. The student who only gets a few hours of sleep each night, will not do his best in class. The worker who stays out late at night will not perform well on his job. The driver, who is sleep deprived, is a danger on the highway to himself and everyone else. And even those of us who stay at home, need our rest in order to function properly each day I read an interesting post on here a day or so ago by @JudyStory, about the need for us to take time to relax every day, and I agree with what she said. I hope she doesn't mind me picking up her thought and expanding on it. I am convinced that it is important for us to have the proper sleep every night, in order for us to be productive and alert during the day. Do you get enough sleep?
18 people like this
19 responses
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
8 Apr 16
Very well observed Anne. I do get enough sleep, but just later than most people (4am to 11am).
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
8 Apr 16
@AnneEJ My thoughts exactly.
2 people like this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
The time doesn't count as long as we are giving our bodies the rest they need.
2 people like this
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
8 Apr 16
t normally do not get enough sleep.Never did.I am a light sleeper
2 people like this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
All we have to do is keep trying
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
19 Apr 16
I do not necessarily get enough at one time, but my body will collapse thoroughly and I will sleep in spite of myself when sitting in front of a television or laptop, or when riding in the car.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
19 Apr 16
Our body usually tells us when we need some sleep
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Apr 16
not really oh I tr y but wake at two and five did go back to sleep at fve w oke a six go to breakfast on time dar my roomie went back to b ed and is snoring like a m otor boat u gh. distracting.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Apr 16
@AnneEJ darnI got spoiled when the next to this roomie went to the hospital and nver returned as it was nice not having that snoring lol
1 person likes this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
24 Apr 16
@AnneEJ We do use a fan too for "white noise", but I still have trouble sleeping because of health problems.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
I live alone, so don't have that distraction. But do get some noise from the people upstairs, so usually have my fan running.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Apr 16
When I do get enough sleep it is rare these days and I so appreciate it Anne. It is very important to be sharp through the day, I get that.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
I know there are circumstances when we can't get all the sleep we need, but we do suffer from it
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Apr 16
@AnneEJ Sleep deprivation in its severest form can be real crazy.
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I have been getting about enough sleep lately. I can go to bed much earlier in the past because I don't have the same distractions. As for peeling potatoes, I use a peeler. No knife play here!
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
I use a peeler for carrots, but never like them for potatoes
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
8 Apr 16
@AnneEJ In that case you need a sharper peeler with a higher arch. Flat ones don't do well for me and potatoes, but one peeler I have works much better than the others. However, most of the time I just do baked potatoes and eat the skins. It's healthier.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223777)
• Chile
9 Apr 16
Very good post. It makes me think that maybe I should go to bed.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
Hope you did and had a good sleep.
• Preston, England
9 Apr 16
I rarely get much sleep and I agree that time to recharge our batteries is really important
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
It is important.
1 person likes this
• Greece
19 Apr 16
I go to bed rather later than I should but I am a cat napper so if I am overtired a sit down in the afternoon usually turns into a brief nap.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
19 Apr 16
I usually have an afternoon nap if at all possible. A few minutes usually does the trick
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
9 Apr 16
I usually get at least 7 hours and sometimes more so yes, I get enough sleep.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
Different people require different amounts, and seven hours is usually good.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51588)
• Canada
9 Apr 16
I do my best to get a good night's sleep, its a requirement for one of my medical conditions and the medication that I take for it. When we were growing up, when the beans got too high to hoe, my Dad had a sickle for all of us kids to use. I preferred that as it was a nice welcome change to hoeing the weeds. Of course we were 6th generation growing up on the farm, so these older tools were there from previous generations. And I think that we even had a couple of hay scythes out in the barn.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
I can remember my dad mowing hay with the big old scythe. We never grew grain on the farm
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50528)
• United States
12 Apr 16
I am blessed that most nights I do.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
12 Apr 16
That is good
@Lucky15 (37374)
• Philippines
9 Apr 16
I remember the story of two loggers. I have...will try always ;)
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
I had a great sleep last night and it was nice to wake up to sunshine.
1 person likes this
@Dena91 (16688)
• United States
8 Apr 16
I try and get a good nights rest however being a lighter sleeper it is difficult at times. The other night we had a thunderstorm which woke me up at 3 AM. Last night I just couldn't fall asleep too easily and couldn't stay asleep. I think I maybe got a couple hours total. I was a little sluggish through out the day today. Hopefully tonight I'll drift off fairly easily and stay throughout the evening. Have a blessed evening
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
When I was working, I hated to get wakened in the night and found it hard to go back to sleep, knowing that I would be tired in the morning. Now, if I wake up, I usually go right back to sleep, but if I don't I know I can sleep in if I feel like it.
1 person likes this
@kamel622 (310)
• United States
8 Apr 16
Now that I am retired I get more sleep than when I was working and raising a family and I agree...it really is important.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
Yes when you are working and also raising a family, you have to sacrifice some sleep.
1 person likes this
@xstitcher (32700)
• Petaluma, California
8 Apr 16
I just recently saw something on TV about not getting enough sleep. I wish I remembered more details, but not getting enough sleep can be bad for your health.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
That is for sure.
@jstory07 (139976)
• Roseburg, Oregon
8 Apr 16
We do need descent sleep every night.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
I always try to get 7 or 8 hours and often have an afternoon nap as well.
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
8 Apr 16
Sleep is all I've been getting since we've returned from FL, until this morning when the alarm went off! My husband usually awakes before it goes off, but not today. He and I are pooped! Yet, this was his second workout since we've been home. Usually, we get 8 hours of sleep a night. They say that lack of sleep causes one to age faster. Don't want that! It's fast enough as it is. Lol!
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
9 Apr 16
I am sure it has been a big adjustment to come back home. That is true that we get old fast enough.
1 person likes this
@Elizaby (6902)
• Pensacola, Florida
8 Apr 16
So true and I do try to get enough sleep
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
8 Apr 16
I read somewhere that even if we don't sleep all the time, if we spend the right amount of time in bed, our bodies are resting.
1 person likes this