I sometimes get to feeling like I have a pretty good vocabulary. Then I come upon a word that I have never even seen before let along having used it or knowing what it means. The latest word to add to my list is Ongepotchket.
Mitzi in The Poet's Funeral (by John M. Daniel) named her publishing company Ongepotchket. It took me half the book to figure out that the word had a meaning besides what it was given by the author. So after I finished reading the book, I Googled the word. In Yiddish it means decorating something up so much that it's ugly. The concept certainly isn't foreign to me. I think I've even been guilty of ongepotchket a few times in my life. Maybe my annual Christmas tree is an example. Certainly the typical "tourist purse" of the 60s and 70s was ongepotchket. Remember all the rhinestones, flowers, kittens and other trim that adorned those monstrosities? Incidentally, those gaudy items bring hefty prices at auctions these days.
Sometimes I hear a new word and for days I'll see that word pop up everywhere. I'll bet this will not be one of those times. What do you think?
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Pokeweed
Mrs. Child (The Frugal American Housewife) has this to say about poke-root:
“Poke-root, boiled in water and mixed with a good quantity of molasses, set about the kitchen, the pantry, &c in large deep plates, will kill cockroaches in great numbers, and finally rid the house of them. The Indians say that poke-root boiled into a soft poultice is a cure for the bite of a snake. I have heard of a fine horse saved by it.”
If you ever have poke weed poke its way into your garden, you will learn to hate it. It’s a plant that looks pretty when it comes up. It’s so vital and fresh and green. It grows so luxuriantly and makes a fine-looking bush. Its flowers are ornamental and prolific, and the dark purple berries that follow are really lovely. What a nice bush it is! But appearances are deceiving. Once it gets a toehold, it’s exceptionally hard to get rid of. Round-up will seem to kill it, but given a couple of months, the weed will come up twice as strong. There’s a big patch on our neighbor’s farm and we all wish he would get rid of it....maybe with a flame thrower.
I did a little research on poke weed, enough to know that it’s very dangerous. Even “boiling in two waters” isn’t enough to remove all the toxins, and every year it claims some lives in the South where people still think it’s good to eat. The berries are attractive to children, and extremely deadly. If you have children, get rid of the pokeweed NOW. Even handling the plant is dangerous. Wear protective clothing and gloves when you’re pulling it up. (It has a tap root that is strong and long.)
On the other hand, in Wikipedia I learned some interesting facts. “Pokeweed berries yield a red ink or dye, which was once used by Native Americans to decorate their horses. The United States Declaration of Independence was written in fermented pokeberry juice (hence the common name 'inkberry'). Many letters written home during the American Civil War were written in pokeberry ink; the writing in these surviving letters appears brown. The red juice has also been used to symbolize blood, as in the anti-slavery protest of Benjamin Lay. A rich brown dye can be made by soaking fabrics in fermenting berries in a hollowed-out pumpkin.
So reading an 1830 book is interesting, but following its advice without some research can be harmful to your health.
“Poke-root, boiled in water and mixed with a good quantity of molasses, set about the kitchen, the pantry, &c in large deep plates, will kill cockroaches in great numbers, and finally rid the house of them. The Indians say that poke-root boiled into a soft poultice is a cure for the bite of a snake. I have heard of a fine horse saved by it.”
If you ever have poke weed poke its way into your garden, you will learn to hate it. It’s a plant that looks pretty when it comes up. It’s so vital and fresh and green. It grows so luxuriantly and makes a fine-looking bush. Its flowers are ornamental and prolific, and the dark purple berries that follow are really lovely. What a nice bush it is! But appearances are deceiving. Once it gets a toehold, it’s exceptionally hard to get rid of. Round-up will seem to kill it, but given a couple of months, the weed will come up twice as strong. There’s a big patch on our neighbor’s farm and we all wish he would get rid of it....maybe with a flame thrower.
I did a little research on poke weed, enough to know that it’s very dangerous. Even “boiling in two waters” isn’t enough to remove all the toxins, and every year it claims some lives in the South where people still think it’s good to eat. The berries are attractive to children, and extremely deadly. If you have children, get rid of the pokeweed NOW. Even handling the plant is dangerous. Wear protective clothing and gloves when you’re pulling it up. (It has a tap root that is strong and long.)
On the other hand, in Wikipedia I learned some interesting facts. “Pokeweed berries yield a red ink or dye, which was once used by Native Americans to decorate their horses. The United States Declaration of Independence was written in fermented pokeberry juice (hence the common name 'inkberry'). Many letters written home during the American Civil War were written in pokeberry ink; the writing in these surviving letters appears brown. The red juice has also been used to symbolize blood, as in the anti-slavery protest of Benjamin Lay. A rich brown dye can be made by soaking fabrics in fermenting berries in a hollowed-out pumpkin.
So reading an 1830 book is interesting, but following its advice without some research can be harmful to your health.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Cucumbers Then and Now
It’s been awhile since I have commented on Mrs. Child’s book, the Frugal American Housewife. It’s time to remedy that lapse. On page 18 she continues her advice for the 1830 housewife:
“It is thought to be a preventive to the unhealthy influence of cucumbers to cut the slices very thin, and drop each one into cold water as you cut it. A few minutes in the water takes out a large portion of the slimy matter, so injurious to health. They should be eaten with high seasoning.”
Now, I don’t know that I’ve really thought about the “slimy substance” before. I guess the jelly-like stuff around the seeds could be called slimy though. And don’t you wonder how the cucumber gained the reputation for being injurious to your health?
In my grandparents day cucumbers were always served peeled. Jim’s grandmother, Mertie Donoho Greenwalt said that the “peelings would kill ‘ya!” She would be appalled to see sliced cucumbers served with a rim of dark green peeling still on them.
I don’t know what Mrs. Child meant by “high seasoning,” but I know that most of the people in days gone by sliced cucumbers and onions into a brine of vinegar, salt and water. Some added sugar, but our family didn’t. For years my husband wouldn’t eat a raw cucumber, but he loved the brined ones his mother made.
Have you noticed that vegetables today that are often eaten raw would never have been served uncooked in the first half the 20th Century? Think about broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, and squash. Today we eat them raw as often as we eat them cooked. How times have changed!
“It is thought to be a preventive to the unhealthy influence of cucumbers to cut the slices very thin, and drop each one into cold water as you cut it. A few minutes in the water takes out a large portion of the slimy matter, so injurious to health. They should be eaten with high seasoning.”
Now, I don’t know that I’ve really thought about the “slimy substance” before. I guess the jelly-like stuff around the seeds could be called slimy though. And don’t you wonder how the cucumber gained the reputation for being injurious to your health?
In my grandparents day cucumbers were always served peeled. Jim’s grandmother, Mertie Donoho Greenwalt said that the “peelings would kill ‘ya!” She would be appalled to see sliced cucumbers served with a rim of dark green peeling still on them.
I don’t know what Mrs. Child meant by “high seasoning,” but I know that most of the people in days gone by sliced cucumbers and onions into a brine of vinegar, salt and water. Some added sugar, but our family didn’t. For years my husband wouldn’t eat a raw cucumber, but he loved the brined ones his mother made.
Have you noticed that vegetables today that are often eaten raw would never have been served uncooked in the first half the 20th Century? Think about broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, and squash. Today we eat them raw as often as we eat them cooked. How times have changed!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
What My Husband Isn't and Is
We’ve been married for almost 49 years, and I think we’re pretty happy with each other. I doubt that either of us would say we’re perfect, but we’ve managed to mesh together well. We’ve learned to ignore things we don’t like and really enjoy the things we do like. A few years ago it was popular to list what a “real man is,” and I began to mentally compile a list of the things I really liked about Jim. I’ve added to it over time, and I’ll undoubtedly add a few more as I think of them. Here’s a partial list:
I’m glad my husband doesn’t:
Drink
Smoke
Gamble
Run around with other women
Have nights out with the guys
Ride a motorcycle
Golf
Go fishing
Go camping
Go hunting
Vacation at the beach
Own a boat
Cook in my kitchen
Wear plaid pants or white shoes
Tell dirty jokes (he leaves that to me)
Swear in public
Waste money sending me flowers
Now what do I like about my husband? I’m glad he:
Has a great sense of humor (the first trait I noticed and liked when we met)
Is a good father
Is a good role model
Is kind and thoughtful
Is generous
Is a computer guru (how else would I keep my computer working?)
Is easy to talk to
Stops whenever I need a pee break when we’re traveling
Will stop and ask for directions if we’re lost
Likes family get-togethers
Adores his grandchildren
Likes cats (and a few specific dogs)
Has a wonderful set of siblings
Will eat anything I cook as long as it doesn’t have broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus or cauliflower in it.
I’m glad my husband doesn’t:
Drink
Smoke
Gamble
Run around with other women
Have nights out with the guys
Ride a motorcycle
Golf
Go fishing
Go camping
Go hunting
Vacation at the beach
Own a boat
Cook in my kitchen
Wear plaid pants or white shoes
Tell dirty jokes (he leaves that to me)
Swear in public
Waste money sending me flowers
Now what do I like about my husband? I’m glad he:
Has a great sense of humor (the first trait I noticed and liked when we met)
Is a good father
Is a good role model
Is kind and thoughtful
Is generous
Is a computer guru (how else would I keep my computer working?)
Is easy to talk to
Stops whenever I need a pee break when we’re traveling
Will stop and ask for directions if we’re lost
Likes family get-togethers
Adores his grandchildren
Likes cats (and a few specific dogs)
Has a wonderful set of siblings
Will eat anything I cook as long as it doesn’t have broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus or cauliflower in it.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Birthday Parties, a Comparison
I got to thinking awhile back that birthday parties "ain't what they used to be." Now I'm wondering if everyone else has the same disconnect between the parties they were given as a child and parties kids enjoy today.
I'll have to admit that I don't recall a specific birthday party when I was little. I know there was some sort of celebration. My Grandma Hammond would never pass up the chance to be festive. But I simply don't have any vivid images of those events. I remember a little about parties in general back then.
There would be just a few kids invited, maybe 6 or 8 at the most. There would be cake and ice cream, and everyone would bring a wrapped gift to the birthday kid. Then there would be organized games: pin the tail on the donkey, spin the bottle, who's got the thinble, etc. The gifts were never very elaborate or expensive. Even the host family didn't give the birthday child more than 2 presents. The whole party would last a little over an hour and then the other kids would go home.
That was birthday parties in the 40's and 50's. In the 60's when my children were little, parties were a little more elaborate. I had read in a Family Circle or Woman's Day (the sources of much of my knowledge in those days) that you could set a rule that each child could invite as many children as he/she was old. So a 6-year-old would invite 6 children; a thirteen-year-old would invite 13. We used that rule for all our kids, and it worked out quite well. When the kids were small and more or less unruly, you'd have few of them to contend with. As they got older you could handle more bodies, because they were more able to take care of themselves. I was never very good at organizing games kids liked to play, so the parties weren't quite as "managed" as they had been when I was little. The kids just did whatever they thought was fun (within reason, of course). There was still cake and ice cream, but now we tended to give our children more gifts, and it was not uncommon to give each guest a small token to take home with him/her.
Birthdays in our family today have taken on a whole 'nother atmosphere. They are BIG productions! They're an excuse for a family reunion and a reason for friends to gather. At least that's what they have morphed into in our family. Every member of the family, extended or otherwise, is invited. Friends of the parents are welcome. Children abound. It's not unusual for these fetes to have 30 people present. There's lots of food, not just ice cream and cake. In fact, the cake seems almost an afterthought. Everyone eats, talks, laughs, and has a great old time. Kids go off to play in the toy fields of the host family. There are more presents for the birthday child than there are at Christmas, and those presents are not "token" gifts either. Everyone has a wonderful time, and the birthday child knows that his/her day was something special.
I wonder if anyone in our family today would tolerate the meager party trappings of the birthday celebrations that I had as a child. I’m personally not unhappy with the changes, but it seems to me that big blow-outs like we currently stage are awfully hard on the hosting family …to say nothing of their budgets. That said, I’m always going to try to be present for birthday parties. They’re a blast.
I'll have to admit that I don't recall a specific birthday party when I was little. I know there was some sort of celebration. My Grandma Hammond would never pass up the chance to be festive. But I simply don't have any vivid images of those events. I remember a little about parties in general back then.
There would be just a few kids invited, maybe 6 or 8 at the most. There would be cake and ice cream, and everyone would bring a wrapped gift to the birthday kid. Then there would be organized games: pin the tail on the donkey, spin the bottle, who's got the thinble, etc. The gifts were never very elaborate or expensive. Even the host family didn't give the birthday child more than 2 presents. The whole party would last a little over an hour and then the other kids would go home.
That was birthday parties in the 40's and 50's. In the 60's when my children were little, parties were a little more elaborate. I had read in a Family Circle or Woman's Day (the sources of much of my knowledge in those days) that you could set a rule that each child could invite as many children as he/she was old. So a 6-year-old would invite 6 children; a thirteen-year-old would invite 13. We used that rule for all our kids, and it worked out quite well. When the kids were small and more or less unruly, you'd have few of them to contend with. As they got older you could handle more bodies, because they were more able to take care of themselves. I was never very good at organizing games kids liked to play, so the parties weren't quite as "managed" as they had been when I was little. The kids just did whatever they thought was fun (within reason, of course). There was still cake and ice cream, but now we tended to give our children more gifts, and it was not uncommon to give each guest a small token to take home with him/her.
Birthdays in our family today have taken on a whole 'nother atmosphere. They are BIG productions! They're an excuse for a family reunion and a reason for friends to gather. At least that's what they have morphed into in our family. Every member of the family, extended or otherwise, is invited. Friends of the parents are welcome. Children abound. It's not unusual for these fetes to have 30 people present. There's lots of food, not just ice cream and cake. In fact, the cake seems almost an afterthought. Everyone eats, talks, laughs, and has a great old time. Kids go off to play in the toy fields of the host family. There are more presents for the birthday child than there are at Christmas, and those presents are not "token" gifts either. Everyone has a wonderful time, and the birthday child knows that his/her day was something special.
I wonder if anyone in our family today would tolerate the meager party trappings of the birthday celebrations that I had as a child. I’m personally not unhappy with the changes, but it seems to me that big blow-outs like we currently stage are awfully hard on the hosting family …to say nothing of their budgets. That said, I’m always going to try to be present for birthday parties. They’re a blast.
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