What Odd Timin
Somethin has been naggin at me since yesterday mornin.. Glen Beck was sayin on his show yesterday mornin about people not knowin how to grow and "can" their own food anymore.. He comes on at 9 A.M. here and I was still nursin some pretty bad sore spots and sippin my coffee so the garden was still close to my mind..
I've had a garden for most of my life.. When I didnt have one of my own, I usually had one partnered with a friend or just somebody that paid me to make them a garden and also gave me plenty of the pickins..
I was raised on a farm till I was about 11 and then moved to town and was closer to Granma and her garden and chickens.. She lived a coupla blocks from the school I went to so I spent a lot of time at Granma's house.. Me and Granma used to can the best Chow Chow that I have ever tasted.. And me and my Mama used to can the best pear preserves I have ever had the chance to put on a bisquit.. I had a girlfriend once that had 2 big athletic teenage boys and could flat put away some salsa and chips and me and her canned salsa by the gallons..
But I dont imagine as many folks know as many people as I do that can and pickle and freeze and dry.. I figger that Glen is pretty close to right.. There aint as many people that still do stuff like that anymore.. But there are some, and I know a bunch of em myself.. I know quilters and wood carvers too..
I wish more folks would learn it.. I wanted to write more on this, but my meds are kickin my ass !! I'll try to get back to this later.. Sorry..
continued:
I'm pretty sure that it wadnt my Irish or German heritage that brought my family to be canners and preservers, but that it was the counrty lifestyle and the fact that we were poor..
My family started out in this country as large landowners in the South Carolina/North Carolina area until they lost all their land in the War Between The States, and then headed west and ended up in Texas and points west as sharecroppers..
Out of my Granma's 5 kids, only 2 were country-type people that bought land to work and farm.. My Dad and my Uncle came back from WW II and worked long enuff in the west Texas oilfields to get the money together to come back here to their Home County and buy small farms to work.. And thats where I've learned how to do the stuff related to the old style way of farmin and livin.. From balin and haulin hay to hand-milkin cows to killin hogs and smokin meats to cannin and quiltin and knittin..
Even tho it was hard hard work it was interestin to me and still is to this day..I enjoy it and thats what keeps me doin it.. But that is what makes the difference in poeple.. Most shy away from anythang that even resembles hard work.. If it looks like work, well, then it dont interest em one bit.. LAZINESS !! Thats all it is.. Almost, anyway.. Some are just too good to get their nice, soft, manicured hands dirty and caloused..
But it is a mixture of science and art.. Most of it lost to the cell phone nowadays.. Caint you just see some booger-eattin-mohron, hoe in hand, choppin weeds down one row and then back another, only to stop every 10 feet to reach in their pocket and pull out there Razor and lean on the hoe handle while talkin bout goin to the Mall or the latest on Britney or Paris ??
We have a County Fair every year here and they have a buildin dedicated to the home grown foods that folks have worked thru the year.. Some fresh.. Some canned..
You see the little old ladies walkin about talkin bout what they have entered into the competition.. You can spot em a mile away, with stooped backs from long hours on a too-short hoe handle in the garden.. But you wont find anyone any prouder than those that get that Blue Ribbon for their pears or whatever they brought.. To be one of the Judges is a coveted honor around here.. Me, I just like to have the good thangs that come out of a garden or field on the table so my family can enjoy the best there is.. Nothin beats it !!
Our Family Renunions were somethin to behold.. Table after table of the best that we had to be eattin and shared with all.. I thank that the City kinfolks looked forward all year till they got to come back and load up on the good food that was served.. From the looks of their piled-high plates you would thank that they hadnt eattin since the last reunion.. It wadnt no big deal to us locals tho cause we ate food like that all the time so we passed on the green beans and carrots to make room for the peecan pie..
But what remains the best of it all are the memories of helpin Mama in the kitchen or Daddy killin a hog or quiltin with Granma.. Precious Memories..
And Glen Beck was talkin bout his lifestyle again yesterday.. He is tired of the fast pace and no time for his kids or makin precious memories like I have.. I dont thank I could stand to live like he does either !! No Thanks.. I'll just make-do with what little possessions I have and try to dwell on all those old memories and try my best to make new ones.. Maybe one day my daughter will put down her cell phone and come back home to make some memories of her own..
I've had a garden for most of my life.. When I didnt have one of my own, I usually had one partnered with a friend or just somebody that paid me to make them a garden and also gave me plenty of the pickins..
I was raised on a farm till I was about 11 and then moved to town and was closer to Granma and her garden and chickens.. She lived a coupla blocks from the school I went to so I spent a lot of time at Granma's house.. Me and Granma used to can the best Chow Chow that I have ever tasted.. And me and my Mama used to can the best pear preserves I have ever had the chance to put on a bisquit.. I had a girlfriend once that had 2 big athletic teenage boys and could flat put away some salsa and chips and me and her canned salsa by the gallons..
But I dont imagine as many folks know as many people as I do that can and pickle and freeze and dry.. I figger that Glen is pretty close to right.. There aint as many people that still do stuff like that anymore.. But there are some, and I know a bunch of em myself.. I know quilters and wood carvers too..
I wish more folks would learn it.. I wanted to write more on this, but my meds are kickin my ass !! I'll try to get back to this later.. Sorry..
continued:
I'm pretty sure that it wadnt my Irish or German heritage that brought my family to be canners and preservers, but that it was the counrty lifestyle and the fact that we were poor..
My family started out in this country as large landowners in the South Carolina/North Carolina area until they lost all their land in the War Between The States, and then headed west and ended up in Texas and points west as sharecroppers..
Out of my Granma's 5 kids, only 2 were country-type people that bought land to work and farm.. My Dad and my Uncle came back from WW II and worked long enuff in the west Texas oilfields to get the money together to come back here to their Home County and buy small farms to work.. And thats where I've learned how to do the stuff related to the old style way of farmin and livin.. From balin and haulin hay to hand-milkin cows to killin hogs and smokin meats to cannin and quiltin and knittin..
Even tho it was hard hard work it was interestin to me and still is to this day..I enjoy it and thats what keeps me doin it.. But that is what makes the difference in poeple.. Most shy away from anythang that even resembles hard work.. If it looks like work, well, then it dont interest em one bit.. LAZINESS !! Thats all it is.. Almost, anyway.. Some are just too good to get their nice, soft, manicured hands dirty and caloused..
But it is a mixture of science and art.. Most of it lost to the cell phone nowadays.. Caint you just see some booger-eattin-mohron, hoe in hand, choppin weeds down one row and then back another, only to stop every 10 feet to reach in their pocket and pull out there Razor and lean on the hoe handle while talkin bout goin to the Mall or the latest on Britney or Paris ??
We have a County Fair every year here and they have a buildin dedicated to the home grown foods that folks have worked thru the year.. Some fresh.. Some canned..
You see the little old ladies walkin about talkin bout what they have entered into the competition.. You can spot em a mile away, with stooped backs from long hours on a too-short hoe handle in the garden.. But you wont find anyone any prouder than those that get that Blue Ribbon for their pears or whatever they brought.. To be one of the Judges is a coveted honor around here.. Me, I just like to have the good thangs that come out of a garden or field on the table so my family can enjoy the best there is.. Nothin beats it !!
Our Family Renunions were somethin to behold.. Table after table of the best that we had to be eattin and shared with all.. I thank that the City kinfolks looked forward all year till they got to come back and load up on the good food that was served.. From the looks of their piled-high plates you would thank that they hadnt eattin since the last reunion.. It wadnt no big deal to us locals tho cause we ate food like that all the time so we passed on the green beans and carrots to make room for the peecan pie..
But what remains the best of it all are the memories of helpin Mama in the kitchen or Daddy killin a hog or quiltin with Granma.. Precious Memories..
And Glen Beck was talkin bout his lifestyle again yesterday.. He is tired of the fast pace and no time for his kids or makin precious memories like I have.. I dont thank I could stand to live like he does either !! No Thanks.. I'll just make-do with what little possessions I have and try to dwell on all those old memories and try my best to make new ones.. Maybe one day my daughter will put down her cell phone and come back home to make some memories of her own..
posted by Wild Bill at 6:36 PM
7 Comments:
You're bringing back memories of my time with my grannie. She would can, dry (with sulfur) and make all sorts of jams and jellies. I admit the only drying I do is with a dehydrator! I would like to try canning, though. By God, this summer I will! Hope you feel better tomorrow, WB.
Howdy Pard,
I grew up helping my Mom can things. You name it, she canned it. She was from the south and she had the art of canning down to a science.
I have to admit, I don't know of too many city folks still canning. A few of my friends do and I always get some goodies when they do.
People aint like they used to be, it's a dern shame too.
Ranter
I have always called these types "earth mothers" and of course there are earth fathers as well.
Most of my relatives 2 generations back came from the old country....Norway. And I remember in my youth going to northwest Minnesota (most of my relatives from days of yore were farmers and preachers) and eating straight from the land....b4 the days of heavy chemicals to make all the fruits and vegies picture perfect. And boy oh boy I can tell ya there was noooooo better food. Worked hard, ate hard.
And I wish I could turn back the clock. I think I'd like to do the 50's over again.
There is a sacredness and a love of the land tht is missing in todays hurry and burry world. Very few moms work a stove now a days....no time with the career and soccer practice. The world would be a better place if more ppl would just tend a garden, there is a reality and peace found there tht can be found no where else.
Have a friend tht does the best pickled beets every year. Been at her for the last 3 years to include me. Wish came true last year....the Bear and I went over and did every thing. Even picked the beets out of the ground. What a sense of accomplishment!!! And the taste is out of this world. My mouth waters just thinking bout it. I'm on for this year too.
But oh Hannah....you sure need one to three days to get it all done, and the kitchen sure was a sight!
Thanx for tht memory....those of us who are older...Ahem....Have such priceless memories.
Ah yes. And I will have to tell ya how the pig roast at her place will turn out. In June her only son, only child, graduates high school.
A whole pig on the roundy round. Can't wait.
Course for you Wild Bill I guess tht is just so common, sounds like you do tht quite a bit.
Only been to one other pig roast in my life so this will be the cause celeb!!!!
I will let ya know how it goes!
I think that folks these days are just give too much or expect too much and don't know a lot about growing their own food or how to preserve it.
Thought alot about what you wrote WB.
I think the major feeling about home cookin/cannin doing for one self can be summed up in one word.
CONNECTION
connection to the earth, connection to ones relatives...it comes from a more giving time.
Today it is all about self. And with everyone racing about trying to have the best job, with the most $$$$$,the best kids, and on and on---living the REAL life got lost.
We have all been dumbed down. If a real disaster hit only those who had stocked up and were home grown would probably make it. We live in an "artificial society" in more ways than Paris or Brittany.
Thanks WB, thanks for sharing and for helping me remember more.
I'm afraid all of the ol' ways are going to be gone soon, only to be found in old books and in the memories of some ol' folks.
I'm too stove up to do a very big garden anymore, but I want to have one each year as long as I can so as to pass on what I can to my Sweet Sarah.
She can already hoe and rake pretty good for a little one, but she is a dangerous little gal with the water hose.
Ha...
Papa Ray
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