Choosing the right wood

[rick-in-seattle]

Nowadays, I concern myself with choosing only the highest quality wood for carving.
Even as a child, I was a connoisseur of branches. I would take my time, selecting just the perfect twig that appeared sound, but would be too weak to leave a welt on my backside.

My grandmother, born in 1900 was a firm believer in not sparing the rod. It must have worked because I have never been accused of being spoiled. My parents both had to work to make ends meet, so grandma took on the task of keeping me in line.

I am sure we shared quality time together, I just don’t recall those times, but I am sure we shared some. I do recollect how the remainder of the day was spent. I would get up; gram would fry up some pancakes for my breakfast (back then they actually fried pancakes in a shallow pool of hot lard). After that I would go outside to my world of snakes, ants, and beetles.

Sometime around mid-day, I would hear the call for lunch; this consisted of jam and leftover pancakes rolled up like a jellyroll. Then back to my world of snakes etc.
Around 2:00 I would guess is when things got interesting, I would hear Grandma calling but I knew it didn’t involve pancakes. It was bath time; or should I say it was my signal to climb a tree.

My grandmother has long since left the trials of this world behind; she also left a lasting impression on me in more ways than one. Rolled pancakes bring a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart, but unfortunately, I have a hard time taking a bath unless an old woman chases me around the yard with a switch.

[jillsy]

Did you ever carve any of the branches she chased you with?

I could see it all now - "Blast that boy! Now, where'd that darn switch go?" "Here Gramma" you smile sweetly, "I made this for you!"

Would have been a great way to get out of a skinning!

[AlArchie]

Geeze, Rick, are you my cousin? Part of my "retribution" for bad behavior was going out and "cutting my own switch". You are right, learning the intricacies of "switch cuttin" was an important part of the process!

Thanks for the reminder.

Al

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Nowadays probably not to hard to find an "ol' woman" to chase you around the yard with a switch, probably have tattoos all over tho LOL WinkCowboy Try ebay ha ha

[Dusty Buffalo]

Rick,

My grandmother still, to this day, fries pancakes in lard. The best darn pancakes I've ever tasted. She uses a cast iron skillet that looks to be over 100 years old and fries them puppies up. They're cripsy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I've got her secret down on how to cook them, I just don't do it very often with my cholestrol being what it is.

Thanks for the pancake memory. Now I'm hungry.

We didn't have "switches" where I was raised. Momma used a paddle ball game with the ball removed. That thing hurt.

[Nancy-G]

Bath time once a day?

Your grandma had running water ? She had a water heater ?
She had a tub that didn't have to be filled and emptied by hand?

Gee whiz Rick -- I didn't know you came from a rich family.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

yeh geez, ever take a bath in a COLD creek? and hike to school 7 miles, uphill both ways in the snow?

[rick-in-seattle]

Nancy,
If I came from a rich family, someone else inherited the money.
It was 1962 (when we moved to Seattle) 'til we had indoor plumbing.

Before that, the bath tub was round and galvanized, and the water heater had to be fed wood. We only had running water if grandma was holding the switch, if not, it was ordinary walking water.

[Bartster]

my grandmas never beat us as youguns,but momma and daddy sure did,momma would use a bolo paddle missing the rubber ball like dusty buffalos did or she would use a paint paddle now that thing hurt. if it was a bad enough offense daddy would handle it when he got home from work.{if this happened you was in deep doo-doo} he would use a leather belt about 2" wide and that thing hurt worse than the paint paddle. but a good spanking never hurt me and i dont think i turned out to bad.

grandma would make ho-cakes on a flat griddle with some lard or crisco. man those things were good.

thanks rick for bringing back good memories.

bart

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

ahhhh whatta bunch o'wimps lol.....how about a paddle with holes drilled in it! now that will get your attention! Talking