GARGLING SALT WATER -- BAKING SODA -- HANDKERCHIEFS

You read the title of this post, so you know what these are.  If you put the words of the title together you realize that they all represent something that doesn't get observed much any more.  Most of these three things, as well as many more, do not occupy too much space in our daily, 21st century lives.  There are no doubt many of you reading this who remember their mother ordering them not to forget their handkerchief before running off to school.  Those of you who can remember this may not be able to remember the last time you checked your pocket to assure yourself that you did indeed have a clean handkerchief with you.  I can, it was this morning.  The one thing that I can't remember is when the last time was that I went back to the dresser to  get my second handkerchief, just in case.  I am one of those "throwbacks" who always has a clean cotton, plain white handkerchief on his person.  I never was a user of colored handkerchiefs like the ones pictured here.  I put these up because they show better.  Yep, I'm a media slave too.
While I was thinking of handkerchiefs, a ton of other real stuff that has fallen into desuetude came to mind.  [I used that word on purpose] Like gargling warm salt water in the morning; brushing teeth with baking soda; rubbing paregoric on a baby's gums or taking it to stop diarrhea; Fr. John's morning tonic; taking the cream off the top of the quart of milk so that it could be whipped later in the day; hanging the clothes on the line to dry; choosing to buy one brand of bread over another because the other had a tendency to have air holes in the slices; collecting the fat from the baking pan so that it could later be used as a spread for breakfast bread or toast; carrying a jack-knife in your pocket as a matter of style; dressing up on Sunday; wearing a hat, and never forgetting to remove it when you entered a house... That's all I had on the top of my head.  I could perhaps make the list longer if I decided to spend some time forcing myself to remember other items.  I have, however decided not to put you through the agony of watching me strain at the keyboard only to engender nothing but the proverbial mouse.  [Do I have to explain to which mouse I am referring?]  If I do, let me know and I will.
So, that's my secular thought for the day.  I have to run over to the religious side of my brain because I have a couple of items that I want to express over at No Crying at my Funeral.