On cleaning brass and having good manners.
Oil on Belgium Linen, 53 x 53cm
My grandmother was fastidious regarding many things, but two things immediately come to mind: good manners and cleaning brass. Good manners included the following: be polite, do not interrupt others, listen carefully, be thoughtful and respectful, and most importantly, be kind.
Cleaning her brass ornaments involved rubbing the greenish black oxidation with a paste of lemon and baking soda, letting it sit for half an hour or so, then gently rinsing it with warm water and drying off, revealing the shiny beauty of the brass. The whole room would be reflected in the shiny bowls and jugs. I could get lost looking into that magical world.
Quite magically, kindness, too, can work wonders on oxidised hearts.