Early to bed

[Phil C]

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Ben Franklin

He certainly practiced what he preached because he was known to go to bed early and get up early. He was wealthy being a printor and newspaper business and later an inventor (the lightening rod) and successful statesman. His wisdom is well known espeically in his diplomatic role as well as his publications. He certainly was healthy since he lived to be 84 years old (1706 to 1790) which is certainly remarkable now but especially so in the 1700s when reaching old age was remarkable.

I remember when I was a boy in the 50s visiting my grandparents that my grandfather would go to bed about an hour after sundown (about 9 P.M.) and get up an hour before sunrise (about 5:30 A.M.). This was common among the old folks at that time.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Phil C

I remember when I was a boy in the 50s visiting my grandparents that my grandfather would go to bed about an hour after sundown (about 9 P.M.) and get up an hour before sunrise (about 5:30 A.M.). This was common among the old folks at that time.

It was the same with my grandparents when I was a boy in the 60s. Only they went to bed as soon as it got dark. Not an hour after sundown. We always called it "going to bed, and getting up with the chickens". I hated having to spend the night with them. You were in bed by 6:00 p.m. in the winter. I remember just laying there and stairing at the ceiling or wall.
Grannie's home made breakfasts made it almost bearable though. Man, that woman could cook! Everything was done from scratch. They had a huge garden, and would can and put up veggies and fruits all summer. By the end of the summer, full mason and kerr jars were stacked and stored in any cool spot. I bet you could have lived a month just in the storm cellar, with all the jars of food kept down there.
I'm sure she probably had one, but I dont think I ever saw my Granny use a can opener.

[Phil C]

I know what you mean Stang. I remember she (Grandmother) would kill some chickens that she kept and we would have fried chicken for dinner and eat tomatoes and vegitables that she grew in the garden. Best fried chicken I ever ate and that includes Kentucky Fried Chicken and Popyee's. Great breakfasts too.

[Hupernikomen]

Yeah Granny sure could make that fried chicken. Mine also made a delicious red robin dumplins.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Phil C
I know what you mean Stang. I remember she (Grandmother) would kill some chickens that she kept and we would have fried chicken for dinner and eat tomatoes and vegitables that she grew in the garden. Best fried chicken I ever ate and that includes Kentucky Fried Chicken and Popyee's. Great breakfasts too.

Black iron skillet fried chicken, done right, cannot be matched by any other means of doing it. And Granny always got it right.

About twice a year, we would have a big chickin killin. We would kill about 100 or so and one time, and have them scalded, plucked, cleaned, bagged, and in the freezer before the end of the day. We all looked like axe murders by the time we were done. I guess, in a way, we were axe murderers.

[STANG RED]

Originally posted by Hupernikomen
Yeah Granny sure could make that fried chicken. Mine also made a delicious red robin dumplins.

Red robin dumplins? Thats a new one on me. What ever they are, if your Granny made em, they had to be good.

[Bullaholic]

I remember all of those things from the "old" days along with:

Old ladies shelling peas in their aprons on the front porch while dressed in flowered dresses, hose, and high-topped black shoes. I remember getting a willow twig for one of them to dip Garrett snuff when I was a young boy.

Old men "rolling" their own cigarettes out of Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco in tins and cutting plugs of "Bugle Boy" chewing tobacco.

Old men with pocket watches.

Old men wearing white long-sleeve shirts and talking a lot about the weather.

Chess pie and polk salad. Fried chicken and fresh vegetables. Homemade ice cream.

Cold watermelon pulled from a stream and cut on the spot.

My grandmother putting laundry "bluing" on red ant bites and bull nettle stings.

Throwing China berries at each other at my grandmother's, and eating a mustang grape and a green persimmon---once.

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
I remember all of those things from the "old" days along with:

Old ladies shelling peas in their aprons on the front porch while dressed in flowered dresses, hose, and high-topped black shoes.

Throwing China berries at each other at my grandmother's, and eating a mustang grape and a green persimmon---once.


LOL....I remember shelling peas with my grandmother on the porch, but I can't remember what her shoes looked like.:D

She also had a huge Chinaberry tree....many a fight with my cousins throwing those berries.

And yes, I did eat a mustang grape and persimmon......both awful! The mustang grape made my mouth itch for hours and the persimmon, well, it was just nasty!:D

Thanks for helping me to remember these things!;) :)

[bulldogbark]

my job during wash days was to crank the handle as she put the cloths through the rollers...man I would always be playing around and get my finger caught:D

and Grandma had one of those cast iron stoves with the coal that looked like bricks we always had to go get em for her

[pantherpop]

I remember getting tricked into believing that turning the crank handle on the ice cream maker was fun. Took me about 3 or 4 minutes to figure it out.