Homemade remedies

There are thousands of remedies for any and all kinds of ailments available today, not only in drug stores, but also on the shelves of grocery stores, mini-marts and sometimes even in service stations. Most of these products are the ones that doctors recommend two-to-one. You are probably as confused as I am about which one of these products is best suited to your needs.

During my childhood there were very few products to be bought across the counter and without a prescription from a doctor and in many cases, those few products were cost prohibitive. Most people relied on the tried and true remedies that had been handed down from generations past. Surprisingly enough, many of these remedies worked in numerous situations.

One that I remember very well was a cough syrup made from a teaspoon of sugar with a few drops of whiskey. Sometimes the only “spirits” that were readily available was the infamous ‘White Lightning.” However, this did the trick.

When our children developed a cold, it usually meant that they would have trouble sleeping because of persistent coughing. After trying many brands of over the counter cough syrups, I finally resorted to the old sugar and whisky blend. One spoonful was all that was necessary to quiet the cough and allow them to sleep.

Today we are bombarded with promises that if we will only use this or that product, our lives will be forever changed for the better. Not only do doctors recommend these products two-to-one, but also many celebrities have created and use their own brand of certain products. If they work for them and they still look like a million dollars, how can they fail for those of us that look as if we’ve been rode hard and put up wet?

Some remedies have no need for extensive advertisements. They rely on plain, common sense. For example, I once attended a sales seminar during which one person in the audience with a persistent cough was constantly distracting the speaker. He ignored the interruption for some time, but finally it became too great and he stopped with his presentation and directed his attention to the coughing individual. He said. “Brother, I can cure that cough. Tonight, before you go to bed, I want you to drink a pint of Castor Oil, then when you awake tomorrow morning…. I DARE YOU TO COUGH!”

Demijon

What is a Double Socket, you ask?

I am almost certain that there are very few of us who remember the days when electricity was not a standard feature in every household. Each room of modern homes today are adorned with convenient receptacles that transfer electrical current to today’s appliances. Anywhere an appliance is needed in the home, there is a receptacle (or plug-in) within a few feet.

Not so in the early days of electrical power. As a general rule, these conveniences were reserved for homes within the cities. When The Rural Electrification Administration (R.E.A.) was created, power lines sprang up throughout the rural areas of our country, thus creating a boom for the ones who posessed a working knowledge of electricity. Wiring houses for this innovative addition to country homes became a profitable business for many.

The primary interest in electricity for most rural folks at this time was to provide better lighting than the inadequate oil lamps afforded. As the economy slowly improved, their thoughts turned to electric powered appliances i.e., radios, irons, carpet sweepers, refrigerators, etc. However, there was one problem with the operation of these conveniences.

When the (mostly amateur) electricians wired the homes, they simply provided one wire hanging from the ceiling in the center of each room with a socket containing a pull-chain switch for a light bulb. Many bedrooms had one end of a string tied to the pull-chain and the other end tied to a bed post for convenience of getting in or out of bed.
Demand for utilizing this power for other means resulted in the creation of “the double socket.” One end of this item had male threads and the other end had matching female threads. On two sides it housed receptacles or plug-ins to accept additional appliances. One end of the double socket was screwed into the socket hanging from the ceiling and a light bulb was screwed into the other end. The plug-ins on each side welcomed radios, irons, etc., thus allowing two appliances to be used within a well lighted room, all at the same time. Another pull-chain switch built into the double socket turned the light on and off while the appliances were working. No way, could this get any better.  Right?
Inventive minds began working overtime and another product became a necessity. That product was The Extension Cord, but that’s another story.

Demijon

Innovations from “The Olden Days”

I well remember when the windows of almost every house were adorned with lace curtains. Since the lace offered almost no privacy, roll down window shades were also required. The shades were rolled onto a wooden rod that housed a spring. Metal clips on each end held the spring in place with a wind-up ‘key’ on one end. Winding this key during installation put tension on the spring thus allowing the shade to be rolled up easily by releasing the tension. A wooden strip inserted into the bottom of the shade added weight to keep the shade taut. Rolling the shades up in the morning allowed sufficient light and any breezes into the room through the delicate curtains.

A major problem with these decorative curtains was that the windows were usually opened during the summer months due to lack of air conditioning. This resulted in all of the outside dust and pollutants to be captured within the fibers of the lace.

In order for the family not to be considered ‘riff-raff,’ these delicate curtains were hand-washed at least twice each season along with the ladies ‘unmentionables’ in warm water and a generous amount of Lux Flakes. Immediately after washing, the lace was starched and attached to Curtain Stretchers to dry.

Curtain Stretchers were adjustable strips of wood that could be assembled into roughly the same size as the curtains. Sharp nails on each of the four strips held the curtains after the starch was applied. The entire frame was then adjusted to stretch the curtain to its proper size. All curtains of the same size could be stretched together.

Acting on the popularity of Curtain Stretchers, some entrepreneur invented Pant Stretchers.. These were nothing more than aluminum frames that could be inserted into the legs of trousers and adjusted to keep the legs tight and wrinkle free while drying. Adding a little Argo starch to the pants assured a sharp crease in the trousers when dry.

These primitive innovations saved the lady of the home many hours of heating flatirons on the wood cook stove and laboring over an ironing board. It would be quite a few years before washday consisted of merely dropping the laundry into a machine and then transferring to another machine for drying.

Then came permanent press and wrinkle free garments, Venetian Blinds and draperies, thus eliminating the need for Curtain and Pant Stretchers. These items were relegated to the attic or deep inside a closet until they became items of great demand at Flea Markets or disposed of through the auspices of e-bay.

Demijon

Ignorance sometimes scratches the itch.

      Deputy sheriff Jess Baxter walked into his boss, Fred Davis’ office to make his report on the day’s patrol from which he had just returned.  Settling into an easy chair opposite the enormous desk occupied by the High Sheriff, he waited until he was asked, “Well, what happened during your tour of duty?”

      Stretching his 6 foot 2 inch frame until he was almost lying in the chair, Jess began with, “I was cruising out on number 57, out near Long Pine, when I noticed fresh car tracks turning into the woods. This appeared to be something that would bear investigating so I followed the tracks and about 200 yards into the woods; I came upon a red Mustang with California license plates.  The trunk lid was open and the trunk was about half full of what we call Green Vegetable Matter when we have to testify in court at a drug trial.”

      “This looked suspicious so I decided to wait awhile and see what was going on.  I had only waited for around five minutes when a young man came thrashing through the undergrowth.  His shirt was off and he was sweating profusely.  He had his arms full of freshly cut Green Vegetable Matter.  When he spotted me, he stopped in his tracks and started mumbling,’  ‘Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd!’  I said to him, “Boy, just what in the tarnation are you doing on private property?”

      “His answer was,” ‘Jeeze, officer, please, I ain’t never done nothing like this before, but I’ve heard that North Carolina has good Weed just growing wild and I thought I’d check it out.  Please, officer, I didn’t mean to do it.’

      “After sizing him up real good, I said to him, Son, tell you what; if you’ll get in that car and head back to California and don’t never show your face in North Carolina again, I’ll let you go.”

Hearing that, the sheriff almost swallowed the cigar that he had been puffing on and shouted, “Why th’ hell didn’t you arrest him, bring him in and book him?”

      Jess grinned and said, “Well, sheriff, to my knowledge there is no law in this state against a fellow filling the trunk of his car full of POISON OAK.”

Demijon

Just like the toothache.

For a number of weeks, my “right hind leg” absolutely refused to work right. It had even gotten to the point that I could hardly walk at times. I attributed this to the aches and pains of old age and assumed that it eventually would go away; if for no other reason than to be be replaced by a pain in another location. Such is the way things happen when a person is two years older than dirt.

My lovely roommate insisted that I seek professional help and made an appointment for me with a chiropractor. My appointment is for 08:30 this morning.

As per usual, I awakened at 04:00 and suffered through two cups of coffee before taking my shower and waking “th’ Bear” for his walk to attend to his toilet.

I suppose that the anticipation of visiting a chiropractor was much the same as a visit to a dentist. When I had fed “th Bear” and settled down to await my appointment time, my leg quit hurting. Hopefully, I can remember exactly how the pain affected me in order to give the doctor sufficient information to allow him to evaluate my problem.

For anyone above the age of fifty, aches and pains can be best described as a favorite expression from a friend’s repertoire, used primarily when he was inebriated, i.e. “While some go, others come!”

Details to follow.

Demijon

Send this to 4,397 people

There are folks out there in cyberspace that apparently have nothing to do but spread untruths and expect everyone else to do the same. While there are many very good emails being forwarded, I personally am dubious of the ones that contain an order for me to forward to everyone in my address book or else suffer the consquences!

Some are designed to induce sympathy for an individual suffering from an incurable disease, and promise that 50,000 signatures will bring about a sure cure. Others seem determined to convince everyone to hate the politician that they, themselves, are mad with at the time. There are even the ones that attempt to create disrespect for any belief held by another person. Then, of course, there are the ones that are obviously out-and-out scams.

It would behoove all of us to thoroughly investigate these before forwarding to all our friends and neighbors. A quick trip to http://www.snopes.com – (Urban Legends Reference Pages) will allow us to distinguish between fact and fiction. This is reason enough to prevent us from being a party to undocumented rumors.

A forwarded message from a total stranger should be avoided like the plague. In fact, it just may be a plague that will infect your computer. All of the computer-savy folks advise to delete these before opening them, especially if the message contains an attachment.

NOW: If you forward this message to 4,397 people, you will indeed receive the $11,000.000.00 promised to you by that lawyer in Lower Slobovia who is representing the estate of an unknown relative; and doesn’t know what to do with all that money. To become rich beyond your wildest dreams, all that is required of you is to forward to him your bank account number, your social security number and a mere $500.00 (to cover closing costs).  He promises that he will; “TAKE CARE OF THE REST!”

Demijon

Everyone’s lifeline

Last week I posted an article critical of motorists that ignore features on our roadways designed specifically for the safety of all travelers ( “Why” posted July 16). Disregarding these features is liken unto aiming a 2300 pound projectile without first setting the safety switch. At the time, the main reason for my posting the article was caused more by annoyance than concern for my safety and that of my fellow traveler.

In the wee hours of July 19, an accident claimed the lives of three people less than two blocks from my home. According to officials and the media, the accident was caused by a motorist passing another vehicle on a blind curve and ignoring the double yellow lines painted on the roadway indicating a no-passing zone. I am not sure whether excessive speed was involved in the crash but the head-on collision involved a motorcycle, a pick-up truck and a sports utility vehicle, resulting in an explosion and flames that engulfed at least one of the three vehicles.

This tragedy could easilly have been averted if everyone had adhered to the warnings posted along the road, i.e. speed limits, solid yellow lines and lack of visibility.

ATTENTION ALL DRIVERS: PLEASE remember that the safety rules posted on the nation’s roadways are there in an effort to prevent tragedies such as the above that snuffed out three lives. It really is not so hard to obey the yellow no passing lines if we consider them our lifeline instead of just paint on the road.
This incident has motivated me to be more tolerant of others while driving, and to strictly observe all regulartory signs posted on our nations highways by Departments of Transportation.

As cited in my post of July 16, “It will be much better to arrive late than to NOT ARRIVE AT ALL!”

Demijon

More words that tax my weak mind

Although I consider myself somewhat literate, I am never quite sure about the usage of some words. Knowing the correct context in which certain words are to be used has been a problem for me for much of my young life.

For instance: Does one stuff a pillow or accumulate a lot of stuff?

Is it correct to say that the Drill Sergeant was holding an electric drill?

How about the notification that the damn dam broke?

When someone works to write a novel, does the Publisher publish their works?

In a dense forrest, does the jilted lover sit under a pine tree and pine?

Does one attempt to place an item in a new place?

If tooth marks are discovered on a tool that drills holes, could one conceive that someone bit the bit?

Would I be forever branded an imbecile if I said, “I saw the Saw saw a board in half?”

Is it possible for someone to get angry enough to sock a person with a sock?

Young ladies are cautioned not to run or they would get a run in their hose.

The angry Ram tried to ram the trailor hauling the battering ram.

As you can readily see, it doesn’t take much to completely muddle my intellect. Just in case you were wondering, the above revelation is primarily why I can’t write right!

Demijon

The dove

At 06:30 a.m. today, I was sitting in my workshop enjoying the quiet, cool morning and listening to the call of a morning (mourning) dove; (I never knew and still don’t know which definition is correct). The constant sounds of “who – wei – who – who – who” reverberating throughout the dense forrest adjacent to our property had a calming effect on jangled nerves being awakened at 03:30 and being unable to again fall asleep.

My sleep deprived mind began working overtime while trying to understand the reasoning behind the call of the bird. Was it a mating call or was it dove-ese for “hello, how are you?” I suppose that I’ll never know since there are no descriptive books on the subject of dove-ese available at our local library.

The sounds of early morning have fascinated me for many years. My employer during my working years required my presense on duty at 05:30 a.m.; therefore, getting-up time was at the latest 04:45 a.m.

I was not even spared the ringing of my biological alarm at vacation time. My family and I were avid campers for years and I was the one that roamed the campgrounds with a mug of coffee well before daylight. The roar of the surf at the ocean or the rising sun over mountain peaks was much akin to a tonic for me. In fact, I felt sorrow for those who chose sleep over the enjoyment derived from an awakening world.

I sometimes feel sad that the years have taken a toll and I am unable to roam the wilds of nature as I once did, but I can still enjoy early mornings by quietly sitting with a mug of 100 proof coffee and listening to the calls of a dove. In my humble opinion, this is about as close to Heaven as one can experience on earth.

Demijon

A change for the better

It was perhaps in the mid-to-late 1940’s when my Uncle Claude was to undergo cataract surgery in the 37-bed hospital in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. This was the home of Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital. The facility was located on West 7th Street. It began serving the populace in 1923 and operated there until 1966 when it was moved to East Third Street where, incidentally, I was hospitalized for two or three days in the late 1960’s.My father was Uncle Claude’s brother and he consented for me to ride with him the fifty two miles to visit my “Uncle Oddlah.” This was my first time in a hospital and I was not prepared for the sight that greeted us when we entered his room.

Uncle Oddlah lay in a narrow bed with thick pillows on either side of his face to prevent any movement of his head. He was confined thusly for the length of his stay because of the delicate nature of the surgery. It was also the first time that I had seen him when he was not clean-shaven. Little did I know that the simple act of shaving was a no-no following this type of operation and he had grown a rather healthy beard. Although he was prohibited from moving around or sitting up, he seemed in good spirits and was obviously experiencing little or no pain.

When he left the Hospital, he was wearing thick “coke-bottle” glasses that he would need for the rest of his life. Seeing him in the Hospital, along with the thick glasses made a lasting impression on an innocent young boy.

This impression lasted for well into adulthood for me, and many years later when my ophthalmologist advised me of impending cataract surgery, I was quite apprehensive. His assurance that cataract surgery was a “piece of cake” did nothing to erase the memories of “Uncle Oddlah” lying stiff and unshaven in a narrow bed at CEENTA Hospital.

I finally consented to the surgery. The entire procedure took only a couple of hours until I was on my way home with a patch over my left eye that would be removed the next day. I was allowed to do anything that I normally do except any strenuous activity. When the patch was removed, my eyesight was back to normal.

Eventually I underwent this same surgery for my right eye, and I now have lens implants in both eyes instead of the coke-bottle glasses of the olden days.

Believe me baby; we’ve come a long way.

Demijon