Bacon. BACON!

 

 There are two things I remember well, from my childhood: Bacon and Coffee.  Both should be on the Pyramid of recommended servings of the various food groups.  

But these two elements of happy childhood Olfactory memories always linger.

Discovery and enjoyment of bacon are shown below. Mostly.

 

                                  Someone needs to discuss obedience and respect to him.

Well, I know they are cute now, but they grow up to be heavy tanks that will mow you down if you are in their way. I know this for a fact, having helped with herding them to the chute which will take them to St. Louis for their final destination. A farm girl can handle it.

                                                             Eight min. long

 We raised hogs. Bacon is a natural by  product of these animals.   It is said that they are intelligent.  No, they are evil. Mean.  I know. I have looked them in the eyes, and see their deviousness. They will run you over if you lose concentration and fear them.

Bacon? The odor of coffee and bacon always remind me that my childhood was mostly great.

So, the kids above and comedian express their feelings about bacon.

Many do not eat pork as it is against their beliefs.  Bacon is one of the only pork products I eat. The other is barbecue shredded pork.

Barney Fife: Mr. Chicken

 

Mayberry RFD was our TV home town.   Andy walked down to the fishing hole with Opie, throwing rocks, only resident in the jail was town drunk Otis.  Aunt Bea tried to make pickles for the town competition. Gomer Pyle enlisted in the military, had an awesome voice. His "to dream the impossible dream.. gave me goosebumps.   

 Barney Fife, sigh. He was comic relief, with a bullet in his pocket, so that he could not accidentally shoot his foot or something else.  Barney Fife was played by Don Knotts brilliantly.

Knotts made some memorable movies, at least memorable to me.  His character was always that same goofy guy, with just a hint of some intelligence. The following  are about one minute or less.

                                                        Ghost

                                                        The Reluctant Astronaut

The big hit was "The Apple Dumpling Gang". The other actor was Tim Conway, one of the most brilliant comic actors ever.

So, there you have it. Don Knotts did so many movies and TV programs.  He always made me giggle. 

 

The above are trailers from the movies, about 2 minutes long.

Peace and Freedom

I was born in 1951, in a small town and then on our rural farm.  It was a grand time.  The veterans came home in after the war, and wanted a time of peace for their children.

Peace. Freedom.  We road bikes around the town, played all those games that kids play, watch all the westerns on TV.  We all got measles, chicken pox, and mumps, which was normal at that time.  We all went to our local elementary school, moving up grades 1-8 with the same kids.  

Thing was that we weren't  afraid of the world or our country.  We had Ike! Eisenhower was the man who won the war and brought our men home. He could be trusted and was loved. 

Our fathers were all veterans of WW2.  Some were in infantry to defeat the Nazis.  Some were in Army Air Corp, and others were in the Navy. Army and Marines fought some intense field battles in Europe. My dad was a bay gunner on a Superfortress B-29. They flew the CBI (China, Burma, India) hump everyday with a need to refuel in in China.

We felt safe with our Veteran fathers, and no foreign powers could land on our shores. Ike and our dads were our soldiers. They knew how to fight.

Time passed quickly when we were kids. 

Now, for the first time in my life, I am afraid of our country.  Unsafe, vulnerable, threatened--that is how I feel now.  Will the Federal Bureau of Investigation descend on our house? Will SWAT force their way into my house? Will this post get me in trouble?  Will what happen if I  speak my mind in public? What will happen if I pray on a football field? What will happen if I try to defend our home from rioters?  What will happen if... if...

This is not the country I knew back in the 50s.  Our fathers fought for the safety of our and other countries, but now we aren't safe. Are there any  military that will keep us safe? 

What will happen now? Dear Lord, come soon.

 

 "Before he left office in January 1961, for his farm in Gettysburg, he urged the necessity of maintaining an adequate military strength, but cautioned that vast, long-continued military expenditures could breed potential dangers to our way of life. He concluded with a prayer for peace “in the goodness of time.” Both themes remained timely and urgent when he died, after a long illness, on March 28, 1969." whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/dwight-d-eisenhower/

 

Golf on a Misty Morning

 

 

Made it 

 When Evan dropped dead in front of his golfing foursome, Frank responded quickly.

With his brand new shoes, he nudged Evan, and turned him over.  “Damn!” Frank cursed, “Now I have grass stains.  Damn.”

Clem interrupted. “Well, you did insist on a morning tee-off time.”

All looked down at Evan’s still body.

Jack spoke up. “Who will be our fourth?!  It isn’t likely Evan will be regenerated anytime soon.”

Frank shook his head.  “No help for it.  Let’s head back to the clubhouse.  We’ll tell the Front Desk about Evan.” He nudged Evan once more with a heavy sigh.

This was a Wednesday Words Post, posted July 2018. It tickled me to write this.

Little Children praising the Lord

 

Teach your children.Teach your children.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16 | NIV

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:4

Children's children are the crown of old men;
and the glory of children are their fathers.
Proverbs 17:6 | KJV

 This was originally  published in 2015.. This past weekend, we spent time with 4 of our 7 grand-kids, when our progeny held a 50th wedding anniversary with family.  It was incredible. Being with children shows us that we did a good job raising our own children.  We are so blessed by our God.

. 

 

 

Martin Van Buren, sinner or saint?

  

This an extremely old photo. shows "Mart Shive" It must be in the 1880s. 

 Remnants of the family stories trickle down generations.  As with all stories, there are bits of truth and imagination interjected throughout.

Incredibly, family patriarch and provider of his large clan Martin Van Buren Shive

 spoke, said, and did every blessed thing the stories passed down insisted.

The bastard was a spiteful old sinner…cranky does not begin to describe his temper…words that son of a bitch could say…his wife would weep at the vile vernacular when Martin exploded in one of his rages…

This is the family line. 

 

Many more true tales hovered about.  Subsequently, at Martin Van Buren Shive internment, over six hundred town residents gathered around the grave to hear final words from the Baptist preacher.

 

Then, one by one, each passed by the mound of dirt, either to toss black dirt or to spit on it.  Some spoke words in their own vernacular, expressing heart-felt wishes.  One frequently used phrases were “May you rot in hell" or "Thank you for all you did for our country" or....

   . 

My great-great-great Grandfather was Martin Van Buren Shive. The Christian name is a family name, why I don't know.

 Apparently, my description of this patriarch of the family is accurate according to my aunt who told all sorts of random stories. She also said that he was one mean sonofabitch, some gave him some praise is that he fought in the battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, and more battles during the Civil War.

 He eventually was injured in the leg, sent home to Illinois. He lived in constant pain, which might have contributed to his personality, or if he was always a sonofabitch.

600 people did not show up  to his funeral.  More like 50. 

 Italicized words come from Wednesday Words from 2015.  These were created by Delores who started the writing challenge. After doing battle with her computer, she felt it was time to pass the baton.  

Each Wednesday, some brilliant bloggers post the unrelated words.

These people are   myjustsostory.blogspot.com with Elephant's Child,    

http://river-driftingthroughlife.blogspot.com  with River.

  Next month, March  will be my contributions. Guess what I will provide?

 

 

Travel in Ireland

 Liam's grandfather had told him stories of life in Ireland, how farmers and their harnessed draft horses plowed land and brought in harvest. These images were so compelling that one day, Liam and wife Betty headed to the 'auld country themselves.

Irish Travellers

Liam had rented a traditional traveler caravan, and plodded out onto the dirt roads, being pulled by a harnessed draft horse, named Billy. Sean and Dermot, owners of Caravan Travels, watched them leave, whispering, They'll be stuck in mud before the day's out.

First few miles, Liam and Betty were filled with energy, singing every Irish song they knew, which were many. Over the hours, as energy seemed to drop and sag, they decided that left lane at the fork looked more promising and shorter to the pit stop where other renters would gather and sing more Irish songs.

Mud grabbed their wheels which locked the caravan stock still, while Billy quite happily grazed at lush green grass. Betty began to weep and Liam was dismayed, feeling betrayed by his grandfather's stories.

Then, a fine old black and white tractor came chugging and howling to this miserable couple, followed by Sean in a Ford 150, who fixed the problem right and proper, pulling them out of mud, with a loud SUCK.

Back at Caravan Travels, Liam doled over more pounds to rent a mobile trailer, hooked on the trailer hitch of his rental car, and drove off in a bright red shade of embarrassment.

Tourists. Dreamers.

We are contemplating a journey to Ireland. No traveler caravan, just something safe.

 

This was a post from August 2015. The last we had been to Ireland is 1998.  We intend to take a bus tour around Ireland, hopefully we'll have some time to walk about.

Squawkie Hill Reservation and Elizabeth Lucille Nichols

 

An old woman looked out, staring sternly from within a black frame, holding tightly to black and white.  Oh, she is your great-great grandmother.  My grandmother told me about her, how she had long black thick hair, hanging straight down her back.  She was from the Seneca or Oneida tribe, you know...eleven children born in a log cabin in an Indian Reservation..

I did not know that.  Grandma, with her abundance of hair, told me of this ancestor, bits and pieces.

Grandma died at an old age and it was as if I were now the keeper of the knowledge. 

The photo on the wall, now sepia, was put away, lost in the dark, until boxes and trunks were opened.  My mother stared at the stern ancestor, told me a little more.

When Mom died, there were not any family members who knew the other bits and pieces of this ancestor.

               I was the Keeper.

          When I am gone, so she will be as well.

 

 

 

.

Where my great grandfather (one of eleven) was born, left side, "Mrs. Nichols"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIfe goes on. Get over it.

 

photo credit: theblondecoyote.com

Life begins

And

Life ends.

On Thursday, February 4, 2016

Dorothy Ethel Kane

Died in her sleep, at the age of 89.

For the next week,

We will be remembering our mother,

In a celebration of her long life.

Mom was feisty and pragmatic---

She’d say, “Get over it!  Life goes on!”

She was/is absolutely right.

Safe home, Mom, safe home.

This is a re-post for our mother, Dorothy.  She left  us on Feb. 4, 2016, and that feels like yesterday.