Old Things – from the bottom drawer.

     

         What would we do without that seldom opened drawer, or trunk to dump thing in? Sometimes it becomes an entire room – and then a house, and that's when you rate TV coverage.
        Today's search was for an old postcard that I've kept since childhood. I didn't find it but spent several hours digging through valentines, report cards, and crumbly newspaper clippings. Some of the clutter seemed worth sharing.

       This little pamphlet explained all we needed to know about rationing of food, gasoline, and clothing. Books of stamps to be used for these items were issued. When the book was empty no more of these items could be purchased until the next book was issued. Are those days gone forever? We can hope so.









After graduation many things are not certain, but the boys in 1942 could count on receiving one of these–sometimes before graduation.

        Have you heard anyone complaining about the lack of  handwriting skills being taught today? Take a look at the goal we once had. I never conquered anything near these examples. My mother was taught by what was called the "Palmer method" and  she wrote very well until her eyesight failed. The edea was to not shaep the letters by a clenched hand, but to instead, roll the forearm on its muscle ad thus shape the letters in a rolling movement. Try it!

 A card game of the early '20's
called Finch, I think. There was also one
named Touring and I remember enjoying playing it. It's certain to be here somewhere.  Both wmiles and delay penalties, such as flats and out of gas, etc.
 Both , plus a set of dominoes, were old games of my parents.



 Later Chinese Checkers became the rage…and were affordable in those Depression days of the late '30s. May have cost 25¢.

Simple pleasures in simpler times. Please share your memories with us. It's fun.

Dannie

                                                    " Come little leaves, said the wind one day…."

They'll soon listen to the call. 

Rocking Chair Journey: An Old Blog

Rocking Chair Journey: An Old Blog: Hello everyone, I'm testing my troublesome  blogging system by reprinting an old blog.This is a repeat of an old blog of over a year a...

An Old Blog

Hello everyone,

I'm testing my troublesome  blogging system by reprinting an old blog.This is a repeat of an old blog of over a year ago. Since August, 2012, when it was fist published, my sentiments remain the same. Although we have had our presidential election, our national situation seems to have worsened - but whether  or not the problems I fretted about then, are a contributing factor, is a question I'd like to have answered.

                                                                       A Cynical Senior Citizen

      Whoo-ee!

     I’ve had all I can take.  The final straw has fallen upon my back. I’ve been beaten down beyond the point of fighting            back.  Almost.

     My problem? The news–the talk shows–the hypocrisy–the out-of-context quotes–the use of divide and conquer techniques, and the magicians’ tricks of distractions and delusions.

     Quiet a list, huh? Yet that’s what we’re being fed every day.

     Two days ago, I followed a link to an article reporting on the “lies” of a prominent politician. There were numerous quotes, each followed by a statement that this was “a lie.” There was no explanation of why that statement was labeled a lie. The truth was not explained. Therefore the politician has been branded as dishonest. Whether or not the reader believes these statements are the whole truth is not important. The tiny seed of doubt has been planted.  “Lies” has been coupled with a name.

     Recently, we have been shown that there are some very uninformed people running for public offices. People who are not even smart enough to keep their mouths closed about issues they know nothing about. And they expect to be a part of our governing establishment?  We are in deep trouble if the caliber of our potential leaders has sunk this low.

     Exactly, how do our leaders get chosen? We know that for most public offices the final choice is up to the voters–but who first supports or endorses these persons? What have they done to make them worthy of running our various governing bodies? And in today’s world of misinformation, what person wants to take the risk of having every misstep, from kindergarten forward, being publicized, exaggerated, and used as fodder for all the pundits’ high-paying shows?

     Even our heroes– our icons of accomplishments–are being destroyed. What is the point of pride in watching the gold medal awards of the Olympics only to find later the award is ruled to be undeserved?  Was it? Why this determined pursuit of winner who had followed all the rules and been declared a winner? Who appointed these judges and were they within their rights­–or was this a witch-hunt like those held centuries ago? And why is every word a sixteen-year old accomplished athlete speaks, examined so closely?

     We are facing some of the most important issues of our lifetime: How to handle our overwhelming debt; how to keep our freedom of choosing our lifestyle; how to be sure our children get a good education, and how to prepare for security in our twilight years. And to aid us in making our decisions we are facing political ads carefully crafted to influence our opinions. There are quotes from persons who may (or maynot) be qualified to judge the ability of their favored candidate–and there are our reporters, some of whom search for the truth and some who search for the scandalous.

     Last night’s late night coverage of the Republican convention seemed rather interesting until it veered off course and turned into an in-depth analysis of what was behind each sentence or why other words were not used; what was the motivation of the speaker and what was their personal agenda ––then it degenerated into a rather nasty round of accusations.  All it took was one small click and I put an end to the report.

     Despite all this, I will vote. And I will continue to fume over the pompous statements and opinions expressed by those who assume they know what is best for we ignorant peons. And I must remember, all politicians should not be painted with the same brush. Some deserve tar and feathering. Some merit a gold star.    

     When it all gets too tiresome, we need to remember our humorists from days gone by. They often spoke the truth  disguised as humor. From Mark Twain, Will Rogers and a former president, this one, attributed to Ronald Reagan, may best sum up the political game:

           “Politics is not a bad profession.

                If you succeed,

       There are many rewards

                               If you disgrace yourself,

               You can always write a book.”

Ho hum,

Dannie

Yes. HO HUM.  Many of us have withdrawn from the news scene, and repeating this blog will probably accomplish nothing more than another attempt to successfully publish my blogs under this new system. Let's see what happens when I click on "publish."

Dannie

Rocking Chair Journey: Old Things

Rocking Chair Journey: Old Things: A recent Facebook posting called Old Dusty Things  caught my attention a few days ago, and after I skimmed through pages of old stuff memb...

She's Home

      Woof, Woof! Woof, Woof! My Lady is home. I was so happy to see her that I was speechless. There was so much I wanted to tell her but all I could do was cry.
      I know, I know. A fellow like me that keeps the place free of those pesky grazing deer, shouldn't get all emotional like that, but those 3 weeks alone were sure worrisome.

      Of course, some of her human pack came by and took me for walks and put out food and water, but I could never understand why they took My Lady away. They  still have some 'splainning
to do.

I'm guarding her closely now so it won't happen again.When she came home I parked myself on her bed and watched over everything while she slept.
Sometimes she disappears while I'm napping, but it doesn't tale me long to track her to see if every thing is okay. I sure got scolded for not keeping her warm that morning she fell on the floor, but I thought it was a bit silly or her to lie there when there's nice soft couches and beds to lie on.

Hm-m...Maybe that's why she went away.









       I've learned something while My Lady was gone. I must be smarter than than this pack of humans. I can understand a lot of words - Maybe eight or ten. Now you stop and think a minute. How many dog words do you know?





Enough for tonight. I need to check on my Lady.

Woof.

Old Things

A recent Facebook posting called Old Dusty Things caught my attention a few days ago, and after I skimmed through pages of old stuff members had contributed, I chased it down on google and discovered a bit more information. It dates back to 2011, and is also a selling site for those wishing to list-others simply share pictures of their treasures. I haven't discovered how because it gave me an idea of sharing a few of my old favorites on my blog.

To the left is part of my cast iron collection. I once had a piece similar to the center one, top row, that had shallow round sections. I occasionally used it to bake individual strawberry shortcakes...made the old-fashioned way out of a sweetened biscuit-type dough...with strawberries and real whipped cream.

The oval piece on the left is stamped "server", the center piece is not identified as to it use. The next one is called crusty corn cobs or tea sticks.On the right is an "egg skillet." The muffin pan has been called the best pan ever for pop-overs, and I plan to try it - so far I've had
decent luck with regular aluminum muffin pans. Next, right, is stamped

bread sticks, and in the forefront in a hefty griddle about 10"x 16".



This second picture is shown only because the lighting  was better. My other "cooking" cast iron pieces includes four sizes of skillets, one my husband and I bought at a junk store soon after we were married, seventy years ago.
Wow! I did mention I was showing old stuff, didn't I? The crusty corn cob pan has a pat. date of 1920.

 This old clock has always been called "my dad's clock." I don't know the maker, but a clock hobbits/repair person said it was a coffee premium - however that worked! Probably had to buy many pounds of coffee and save labels to get the clock. Of course it had to be wound every night with its brass key and when it began to lose time, My dad would take off the back, and with a chicken feather dipped in kerosene (called coal oil in those days), proceed to dust and oil its very simple moving parts. It is in need of another feather and kerosene treatment, I fear, because  today, it runs only a short time. Beside it must be hung perfectly level or the pendulum will quit swinging.
The numerals and pendulum are brass.      

 My mother did this watercolor when she was about nine, making it 117 years old, Of course the framing came many years later when her younger sister surprised her with the little picture as a Christmas gift. I wonder how it survived, but it seems to be a family trait to hang on to everything.

This lamp goes back to the beginning of the decorative hammered aluminum
production that started in 1930 and lasted into the '50s-'60s. As an avid collector of these wares,when a large collection went on auction in the '80s, I bid via telephone until my competing bider finally gave up. Some collectors accumulated numerous lamps, ranging from table lamps like this, to desk lamps, and a great variety of bank lamps which were combined wit pin and ink sets and trays for deposits slips, etc. More recently, I have added a torchere - lousy if you want real light but great for a quiet atmosphere. Collectors just keep on keeping on....

A better use.

 Back to cast iron. My Dad bought this grinder (he called it a grist mill) at junk store called Fry's, He thought he'd use it to grind his own corn meal instead of bringing his corn in to Mr. Brown's mill. This was in the late '30s, the midst of the depression, and if you could save a few pennies long enough, you might accumulate a dollar. In this case, Dad soon decided the hand turned grinder was a bad idea: he said the meal was much too coarse for cornbread but never mentioned the tiresome wheel turning! Anyway, he continued to be a customer of Brown's Mill.

Below right, another purchase from Fry's second hand store. This kettle sat on the back of Mother's old wood burning cookstove and furnished an almost constant supply of hot to warm water - if used sparingly and kept refilled. The cast iron cookstove plus the cast iron kettle retained the heat long after the fire burned out.

Rural areas did not have access to electricity until after WWII ended - at least not in this part of the country. President Roosevelt's administration had introduced the Rural Electrification Act, but the war put everything on hold for many years. A very few had limited electricity from a generator and some had propane for heat and cooking. Most rural homes had wood burning stoves and kerosene lamps with glass globes that soon smoked up from the wick being turned up too high. Or a puff of wind that made the flame flare up. Small hands usually had the chore of cleaning those fragile globes.

 Maybe I can find a few more oldies for sharing later. And maybe you can find some of your own to share. The memories are great - and check in to the Old Dusty Things site. I enjoyed the postings.

Dannie

To the dogs in our life:

Dandy on guard

‎"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love , his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~~~ Unknown

Our dogs have so much to give, yet so many are neglected. They are left tied in the hot sun, often with no food or water. They are left to roam the countryside, or left behind when their family moves away. 

I have had only three dogs in my life, The first was a childhood playmate: the second, a family protector, determined to guard us all even after she was almost blind and crippled by old age. My third dog, the little fellow who is now sharing my life, has placed a new perspective on owning a pet.

My Dandy isn't a pet. He isn't a lapdog. The surest way to quieten him when he is wanting attention, is to invite hime to come sit in my lap. That simple invitation sends him to his favorite corner to take a nap. 

No lap sitting, please.

He has no patience with handshaking or kissey foolishness, and it has only since my most recent lengthly absence that he has volunteered a few loving licks. Yet, he has all of the wonderful virtues in the quote above.

Being home alone, stinks.

In my absences, he roamed the house hunting "his Lady". He welcomed me home with joyous howls and offers to share his squeaky toys. The second time I left, he jumped in the car, and laid at my feet until he was removed. When I returned, he had no howls of greeting - he simply whined and whined, and pranced along at my side as I walked down the sidewalk. 

So-o, thanks to Dandy for being my companion. And may all the others needing a forever home soon find one. Perhaps a card giving the quote at the beginning of this post would be food for thought for those planning to adopt a dog.

Dannie

Dandy's Seven Wishes for Your New Year

Woof, woof. Now listen, everyone for the new year

and a comfortable place to lay your head,

I'm wishing you have enough
 rain to make your garden grow,

enough food to share with those in need,

                                                  patience with the foolishness of others,

Success in all your ventures,

news so calm and peaceful that you can
sleep without nightmares.

                                             And may you always have a friend to talk to.



P.S.  My Lady joins me in wishing all these things come true and that 2013 is a great year in every way.

Woof, woof,
Dandy

NOW IS THE TIME to listen to 'we the people'.

Pistol Toting Teachers.

News of the day––I quote in part:

A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to pass a law specifically allowing teachers and staff to pack heat when classes begin later this month.

Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements……….

…….In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and must use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.


Thweatt, (the superintendent) said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target. The kindergarten through 12th grade school district is home to 110 students.

I’m familiar with the area having worked at nearby Vernon before I married.  Harrold’s school may be close to U.S. 287 but it sure seems a long way from anywhere else. Lots of Texas plains out that way. I would never have considered it an “endangered” community, but who would’ve thought the safety conscious Sandy Hook school and its tranquil surroundings would become the scene of such violence.

Thweatt said officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change. He said the district also has various other security measures in place to prevent a school shooting. "The naysayers think [a shooting] won't happen here," Thweatt said. "If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them."

It was unclear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not disclose that information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.


The district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border. Wilbarger County Sheriff Larry Lee did not immediately return a call placed to his office by FOXNews.com.

Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution. Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

While the district's plan shot them into the national spotlight, carrying guns to school is nothing new some states. In Utah, the law allows anyone with a permit to carry a gun in public schools and state institutions of higher education.

FOXNews.com's Michelle Maskaly and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

So there it is folks. Now we’re back in the days of marauding Indians and wild outlaws and our teachers may soon have another responsibility heaped upon them. However, as terrible as it seems, I expect many people at the scene of these mass murders, would have much rather have had the means to stop the killing rather than helplessly let it continue. What a terrible predicament we find ourselves in.

Last night I jotted down some thoughts about what is uppermost in our minds: What is causing all this violence and what can we do about it?

There are lots of thoughts bouncing around wherever people meet, for this latest massacre is the most hideous of all. Our babies and the brave people who tried to save them! Those lost lives must be the catalyst that changes our society. They must!

In the midst of our horror and tears over the unspeakable murders of last week, there is also anger. Anger, because for some the solution seems very simple. The hate for guns by many individuals is understandable and they are pushing for the elimination of guns from all citizens’ households. Personally, I doubt this will solve our problem and I have doubts it can be implemented peaceable.. The need for that standby of ultimate protection against danger is too ingrained in many lives for this to be a successful program. Regardless of fines, jail time, or face-offs with authorities, there would be defiance. There would be hidden guns, gunfights, and deaths.

No, I contend that guns are not the problem any more than an automobile plowing into a nursery school, or a can of gasoline and a match in a crowded building.  We cannot legislate against all dangers that a twisted mind can devise. Think of the damage an axe-swinging, deranged person could inflict!

So this is where we stand today. We can desperately plug the holes in the dike of our protection against dangers such as this at  Sandy Hook Elementary school  or we can hunt the real source of this flood of violence.  And if the opinions of many who are speaking out today are any indication, several things are highly suspected. The remedy will not be a quick fix but it must be done.

I’m sharing with you some comments on Facebook:

A ”shared poster” was one of the first to sum up our impatience with the lack of backbone in our Congress in failing to stand firm against special interest groups whose lobbyists probably far outnumber members of Congress.

“One failed attempt at a shoe bomb and

we all take of our shoes at the airport

Thirty-one school shootings since

Columbine and no change in our

Regulation of guns.”

                                                                                                      John Oliver   

From Pennsylvania:

“Calling for total illegality of all guns isn't going to change the face of evil one bit. It will just insure that evil will be the only thing armed. Calling for better regulations and control is a great idea. Anything more feudal is....not.”

And yet another voice…

“I wish I could believe that a total ban on guns would work. But, it just won't. If it would, well, our streets would be free of drugs too. They're illegal. They're "controlled." It's a nice concept. And I understand the passion of those that want to pry guns out of the hand of every American. I really do. I just know that it won't work. Common sense (when it can rise to the top over the passion) will tell you that making something illegal doesn't make it impossible to own. Or even much harder to get. Evil will always find a way to make its mark. If that kid hadn't had guns at home, he could have gotten plans to make a bomb from the internet and done just as much damage. It just wouldn't have put ammunition (pardon the pun) in the hands of those that wish to ban ALL guns.”

A Texan puts in…

“ I have not read any of the expected gun controversy. It makes me angry. Many other things are contributing to the problem . Could it be the violent games? The movies? The publicity that always follows? Just try to control those! I was raised with guns and was taught to leave them to their proper place (I was also taught to mind my elders). My children were raised in a household with guns. Same situation. They also played 'cowboys and Indians' and went "Bang, bang" all around the yard, and seem to have survived and become caring and responsible adults. So what has happened in our society since the 60s? And even more important...what can we do about it.”

A Canadian speaks up….

 “It makes you realize all that discipline we got was for a reason and worked; I grew up the same.”

From Colorado…

“As I've been saying for a long time - this country has lost all its morals, corrupted its youth - forgotten everything that's important. The schools are not teaching our children values, morals, love, respect . . . And how many parents are failing to do the same thing at home? Stop worrying about offending others and focus on what's right. Teach your children to be polite, respectful, trustworthy, caring and loving. Bring God into your home, your hearts and your everyday. It's not too late to stop this madness. I have hope for the children of this generation but it's up to all of us.”

Then there was Morgan Freemans’ answer to the question of “Why.”

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single victim of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem."

It was at this point, that while scrolling down Facebook hunting for a quote, that I came across a link that led me to a summation of all that had been in our minds. In this speech Joe Scarborough,MSNBC’s morning news anchor, very eloquently laid out our nation’s problems and I firmly believe he is right. He hit the gun manufacturers, the movie makers, those who create the violent games, and the fact that our money is going all over the world with nothing left over for providing care for the mentally ill. He slammed our congress members for not having the intestinal fortitude to do what is right for America instead of what is right for whomever the lobbyist are representing––and he didn’t let the parents escape their share of the blame for taking the path of easiest resistance in raising their offspring.

 These are tough opponents and the issues have become deeply ingrained in our present lifestyles.

Can we do it?

DannieWoodard

Mother, Grandmother, and Great grandmother

In memory

Rocking Chair Journey: THE BLOG HOP<...

Rocking Chair Journey: THE BLOG HOP
 THE BLOG HOP Wednesday, December 5, 2012 THE NEXT BIG THING (WEEK 27) There’s nothing like a deadline to get me...