Winter blues. You all heard that said many times in your life I betcha a dollar. This is the time of the year when you're cooped up in the house 'cause it's too damn cold outside. An' all ya got to do is sit in that chair over there watch'n TV an' snack'n on leftovers out the frigerater. Kelvinator, that what it was once called.
Speak'n of Kelvinator....when I lived on the farm, we didn't have a Kalvinator. We had a ice box. Ice man come from town once a week an' put two big ol' blocks of ice in there. Us kids was not allowed to even crack the door on that thing. Something bout "let all the cold out" an' "I'll beat yer ass". I member only one time I broke that law "moms" placed on that ice box. That was the time "moms" put a left over blackberry cobbler in there the night before. I made me a big ol' spoon out of three fingers an' went to work on the cobbler. "Moms" beat the hell out me for that.
Now I didn't get all that many whoop'ns at the farm. I was the youngest of the 6 of us kids an' I was the only pay'n customer. An' I knowed quite well how to place all blame of any criminal activity on the other boys. I don't know how much my dad paid for my keep on the farm, but I'm gonna bet ya a dollar, it weren't very much at all. We talk'n the 40's here, WWII an' such. Sure do wished I would'a had me a "mama" instead of a "moms" all them years.
While we're on the subject of liv'n on the farm, let me tell ya bout strawberry preserves. I loved strawberry preserves back then.......fresh out the oven biscuits, a glob of butter an' a big ol' heap'n spoon full of mouth water'n strawberry preserves. Yum boy howdy. "Moms" stored all the stuff she canned down in the cellar. A lock on the door to keep us boys out. There was one little winder to the cellar an' I was the smallest of the boys. You see where I'm go'n with this, right? I squeezed my skinny ass through that winder an' headed straight for the strawberry preserves. All us boys run lickity split for the woods an' went to work on 4 quart jars. "Moms" catched us red handed. Strawberry preserves up to our elbows. Made me an' little Joe finish off what was left of our quart jar....an' then give us a whoop'n I ain't never forget. I was sick like a dog. For the next 6 months I couldn't even look at a strawberry, much less put one in my mouth. Did that with a big fat cigar one time.
I got that lifeboat davit rigging done on the tug boat. My god, I spent over 4 hours stick'n thread through little tiny holes an' ty'n stuff in place.
Ok, I'm not completely satisfied with the results. A real tug boat would not have brass boat davits (the curved brass rods). I'm think'n paint 'em black. But then, there's also white. Or red. Anybody wanna make a dollar bet on what color I'll paint 'em???
For size contrast, here's what I'm deal'n with.
I was sit'n here yesterday an' I got to think'n.....what the hell am I gonna have for supper. Billy Bob beef vegetable stew soup sure do sound good. That's some good eat'n ya know. In the freezer, I ain't got no beef. But I do have a pile of pork steaks what been in there for a long time. I brews me up a great big ol' pot of "pork" vegetable stew soup. Well wait a minute. There was no stew seasoning in the cabinets. Now I have 5 days of pork vegetable soup to do something with. Ya cain't freeze it ya know, so I ain't got no choice but to eat it. "Sadie Mae like soup"???? One big ol' bowl last night....it's just so so as far as pork vegetable soup goes.
Speak'n of beef. Have you seen the prices they got on that stuff? My god, what they feed'n them cows that make 'em worth that much? I bought a dozen eggs. Costed me over $2 for them suckers. An' this was at Walmart. What do people do when they have to live on just SS checks? Cans of dog food??? Even that is a expensive diet now days.
See ya laters.......I got things to do. A few dishes to warsh up, a little housework....maybe take the trash bag out before the next cold front arrives. They talk'n 30's tomorrow morn'n an' 45 day time......ouch.
Speak'n of Kelvinator....when I lived on the farm, we didn't have a Kalvinator. We had a ice box. Ice man come from town once a week an' put two big ol' blocks of ice in there. Us kids was not allowed to even crack the door on that thing. Something bout "let all the cold out" an' "I'll beat yer ass". I member only one time I broke that law "moms" placed on that ice box. That was the time "moms" put a left over blackberry cobbler in there the night before. I made me a big ol' spoon out of three fingers an' went to work on the cobbler. "Moms" beat the hell out me for that.
Now I didn't get all that many whoop'ns at the farm. I was the youngest of the 6 of us kids an' I was the only pay'n customer. An' I knowed quite well how to place all blame of any criminal activity on the other boys. I don't know how much my dad paid for my keep on the farm, but I'm gonna bet ya a dollar, it weren't very much at all. We talk'n the 40's here, WWII an' such. Sure do wished I would'a had me a "mama" instead of a "moms" all them years.
While we're on the subject of liv'n on the farm, let me tell ya bout strawberry preserves. I loved strawberry preserves back then.......fresh out the oven biscuits, a glob of butter an' a big ol' heap'n spoon full of mouth water'n strawberry preserves. Yum boy howdy. "Moms" stored all the stuff she canned down in the cellar. A lock on the door to keep us boys out. There was one little winder to the cellar an' I was the smallest of the boys. You see where I'm go'n with this, right? I squeezed my skinny ass through that winder an' headed straight for the strawberry preserves. All us boys run lickity split for the woods an' went to work on 4 quart jars. "Moms" catched us red handed. Strawberry preserves up to our elbows. Made me an' little Joe finish off what was left of our quart jar....an' then give us a whoop'n I ain't never forget. I was sick like a dog. For the next 6 months I couldn't even look at a strawberry, much less put one in my mouth. Did that with a big fat cigar one time.
I got that lifeboat davit rigging done on the tug boat. My god, I spent over 4 hours stick'n thread through little tiny holes an' ty'n stuff in place.
For size contrast, here's what I'm deal'n with.
I was sit'n here yesterday an' I got to think'n.....what the hell am I gonna have for supper. Billy Bob beef vegetable stew soup sure do sound good. That's some good eat'n ya know. In the freezer, I ain't got no beef. But I do have a pile of pork steaks what been in there for a long time. I brews me up a great big ol' pot of "pork" vegetable stew soup. Well wait a minute. There was no stew seasoning in the cabinets. Now I have 5 days of pork vegetable soup to do something with. Ya cain't freeze it ya know, so I ain't got no choice but to eat it. "Sadie Mae like soup"???? One big ol' bowl last night....it's just so so as far as pork vegetable soup goes.
Speak'n of beef. Have you seen the prices they got on that stuff? My god, what they feed'n them cows that make 'em worth that much? I bought a dozen eggs. Costed me over $2 for them suckers. An' this was at Walmart. What do people do when they have to live on just SS checks? Cans of dog food??? Even that is a expensive diet now days.
See ya laters.......I got things to do. A few dishes to warsh up, a little housework....maybe take the trash bag out before the next cold front arrives. They talk'n 30's tomorrow morn'n an' 45 day time......ouch.
Groceries are all that us retired folks can afford. I have no other income other than S.S. and that ain't munch. I like your stories about old times on the farm. Keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteOld times on the farm seem to be some my best memories. I rekon them were "the good ol' days".
DeleteThe butcher explained to me about the high cost of beef: because of the long and devastating drought out West and it will take five years for cost to get back to affordable where it used to be.
ReplyDeleteGrasses don't grow on sunshine alone.
Geez, I'm hurting too. I really like beef but can't buy it. Hmm, maybe dog food will become a staple - who knows!
I recall back in the the early 80's, old folks was eat'n dog food just to have the "one meal a day".
DeleteI'm thinking black would look pretty good.
ReplyDeleteWe think the same Gene. If'n I don't like it, I can always paint it a different color.
Deletethe 40's were tough. carrot gravy on cornbread or biscuits every day all winter. lol no fat kids then.
ReplyDeleteOk Anony, ya got me there. What the hell is carrot gravy?
Deletethere was 11 of us. ate woodchuck, coon, squirrel when we could get them. when a coon was in the woodstove oven in the old blue roaster, them boys would sit and watch that oven door. carrot gravy is like you would make sausage gravy only no sausage or meat in it. you slice carrots in it or coarse ground raw carrot. a big bag of carrots was kept for winter in an old root cellar and sometimes onions and turnips.
DeleteI remember the 40's, being poor, sometimes having only biscuits & gravy to eat (how underprivileged can ya get, huh!), but it seemed everybody else was in the same boat and I look back on those times as happy times. I also remember the icebox, and sometimes I got away with sipping ice water from the bowl set underneath to catch the dripping ice. Great on a hot day!
ReplyDeleteOnly people I knowed back in the 40's, they was all poor people.
DeleteI don't remember if'n we had biscuits an' gravy every morn'n, but I sure do remember biscuits every morn'n. Dang, wimmins had it hard back then.
I'm thinking that it seems "whoopins'" didn't do much good, huh? I mean, they didn't deter you from getting into mischief? I wonder what you thought was going to happen when you got into the strawberry preserves? Wonder if you expected not to get caught? I was around in the 40's too.
ReplyDeleteDon't remember much about the icebox. Remember the outhouse, though. And, believe me, I know about whoopins. Had lots of those. Sometimes I didn't do the crime, but that didn't matter. Lots of mouths to feed and few groceries made people short-tempered. My most remembered meal----cornbread. If we were lucky there were beans, too. In fourth grade I walked home from school for lunch. Cornbread. No free lunches then. I was glad to get that cornbread! And, no, there weren't many fat kids in those days.
I had to do some internet research on mischief. No, I weren't so bad...a normal little farm raised boy do'n what little boys do.
DeleteNow bout them strawberry preserves. Since I was the only one that would fit through that little winder, I was the "chosen one" by the bigger boys what threatened to "beat my ass". Honesty, I was strictly against the whole thing.
Beans and cornbread was, to me, Sunday dinner. I still think very fondly of beans and cornbread...and still list it a one of my favorite meals!
ReplyDeleteOf course, had to have some sliced onion and cold iced tea to go with it!
"Honesty, I was strictly against the whole thing."
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought, haha!
You seem to have always made the best of whatever situation you have been in. I think that is the path of a happy life. I try to do that too, Billy Bob.
Max from Illinois. Headed to Quartzsite today from Texas.