From the moment your mama gave birth to you, she started teaching you through Mother Tongue. That's the universal parent's language that's used to teach a child the language of the parents and is the language that a person knows best.
A mother's grace, abilities and goodwill are typically passed on to the child, along with respect, etiquette, sincerity, gratitude, religion, and the list goes on and on. But the big thing is the core value of reality. Where else would have I learned these things but for my mama. She was the front line parent who held me, fed me and cuddled me when I needed it. She also was the disciplinarian when I needed that too. I surely remember her walking out to the Magnolia tree and breaking off a branch and swatting me on the back of the legs. But it made me a better person.
There were a few "mama taught things" which I remember so well:
- Foresight: "Make sure you always wear clean underwear with no holes. You never know when you might have an accident and have to go to the hospital." I have always made sure those undies were clean and free from holes and I taught my kids the same thing.
- Politeness: She taught me not to laugh at those less fortunate.
- Cleanliness: "You are not going to bed with dirty feet, go take a bath right now."
- Medical Things: "If you cross your eyes, someone might hit you on the head and your eyes will stay crossed forever."
- Religion: "If you go to church every Sunday, you will go to heaven."
- Love: "The love you give equals what it brings."
- Logic: "Because I said so, that's why, and don't ask again."
- Education: She taught me to say the alphabet backwards. I also taught my kids this at an early age.
- Irony: "Keep on crying and I'll give you something to cry about."
- Stamina: "You are going to sit there until you try at least one bite of it."
- Heritage: "Shut the door. Do you think you were born in a barn."
- Growing up: "Am I ever going to see you grow up and not be clumsy?" She didn't live to see that and I'm still clumsy.
- Justice: "When you grow up, I hope your kids act the same as you do".
You eventually become your mother!
First you sound like her!
Then you act like her!
Her platitudes become mine!
Most importantly my mama taught me to love one another and with all of my heart. She also taught me the basics of cooking so I could take care of my future family. She taught me to be a good person throughout my life so that opportunity would present itself at all stages of my life. She also said to love what you do and do it right and be great doing it.
My mama left me before she could teach me everything that was in her soul. She lives out at Elmwood Cemetery but she's till around me every day, prompting me in everything I do because she taught me her "Mother Tongue" ideals. Her sayings live on. I am now my mother! But what I wouldn't give to have her back with me to learn some more!
Old Tyme Greenview....From the Scrapbook
March, 1956: The Linda Theater closed. Blood Alley was the last show.
June, 1956: Curtis elevator was destroyed by fire. It was 75 years old and owned by Clyde McClintick. (The elevator was rebuilt and reopened in 1957)
June, 1956: Construction of the Industrial Arts annex at the high school was begun.
June, 1956: Construction of the new telephone building was begun. It will house the equipment for the dial system coming soon.
July 20, 1956: Polio vaccine was made available to everyone up to 20 years of age. this dread disease will soon be whipped.
September, 1956: Construction was begun on the new concrete elevator owned by Paul Allison, capacity of 202, 000 bushels.
October 20, 1956: The tennis court was dedicated with a dance. Furnishing the music was a teenage orchestra composed of DAvid Woodrum, Norman Long, Ronnie Stevens, U.J. Altig, Jerry Tice, Bob Miller and Galen Lockhart.
November 6, 1956: Cap Spear completed 36 years as clerk in Tripp's Hardware Store.
Jan. 11, 1957: Whitney Eldridge sold his produce and cream station to Percy Carter. Percy also runs a custom grinding and feed business.
March 2, 1957: The finance committee sponsored and arranged a kick-off dinner to trigger the Centennial festivities. Cost was $2.50 per ticket.
July 30, 1960: The Ace Egg Factory owned by Mr. and Mrs. John Allison and Mr.and Mrs. Arthur Cogil held an open house.
1962: Minister Lyle Brassfield resigned as the minister of the Greenview Christian Church to accept a position in Alma, Michigan. Rev. Richard Robinson was called as the new minister of the church.
1962: Don Beatty resigned as the Superintendent of the local schools to accept a position at Northwestern Community Unit School, McDonough County.
1962: Wayne Dimmick was hired as the new superintendent of the schools in Greenview.
September 25, 1962: Fire caused costly damage to the Allison Elevator. Greenview volunteer fireman, Dan Huffman, was hurt when he fell 32 feet from the landing in the mill structure to the mill pit.
October 1, 1962: Leo Reiser became the owner of the Allison Grain Company.
December 2, 1962: Taylor Pitts, photographer in Greenview for many years, died at the age of 75.
July 4, 1964: Seven year old Dwight "Ricky" Miller, son of Leo Miller drowned in the waters of the Sangamon River, four miles west of Greenview.
1964: The new Edgewild Subdivision was leveled and two new home were ready for occupancy. Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Hill were the first homeowners in the new subdivision.
1965: Mrs. Jess Wilson retired from the Greenview Schools after teaching for 29 years.
August 6, 1965: Natural gas became a reality during this week. The project included the construction of the metering and regulating station, the installation of a distribution system in addition to the construction of a transmission line from north of Athens to Greenview, and the laying of the pipeline in Greenview.
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What's To Eat At Our House Tonight?
Tonight it's pork cutlets cooked on the George Foreman Grill. Served with some homegrown tomatoes, corn on the cob, and cucumbers and onions in a vinegar and sugar mixture. I bet you think we eat a lot of cucumbers fixed this way....yes we do, because we really love them! And our neighbor gives us lots of cucumbers and tomatoes through the summer so we take advantage of having fresh produce....it's healthy for you. Later on, the following recipe will be cooking in my oven!!
CRACKLE TOP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
sugar for rolling cookie balls
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
sugar for rolling cookie balls
Cream margarine and both sugars. Blend in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt. Mix well. Shape teaspoonful of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let get really brown. Makes about 4 doz. NOTE: These cookies crackle on the top by themselves...you don't have to press the balls down. I love these cookies!! YUM
Learn A Word A Day
We are learning a new word a day so that Greenviewanites can be the smartest in the county.
New Word: disclaced = without shoes
New Spanish Word/Phrase: el pelo = hair
Thought For The Day
He who has health, has hope,
and he who has hope, has everything.
--Arabian Proverb
Along the way of growing up, I was exposed to music every step of the way. My older sister had a record player and tons of 33 lp albums. One time she lost a lot of them when she left them in the car and the sun melted them. She had a subscription to a record a month so she was always getting new ones. But, she sure played some of the same ones over and over. Some she played too much in my opinion! Some of her favorites were Cara Mia by Gene Pitney, Moon River by Andy Williams, Chances Are by Johnny Mathis and Moody River by Pat Boone.
My sister really didn't play much Doo Wop which was really gaining popularity, so I guess I could say I got my classical type music education back then. But my mother really loved Bobby Darin's Mack The Knife and Johnny Horton's Sink the Bismarck. While the adults in the house were gone, my mother was playing that old record player as loud as she could get it and rockin and rollin to her favorite song. I never saw my mom do this when others were around except for us younger kids. But I know she loved music....and used to love it when my grandpa would get out his harmonica and his fiddle to play "hoe down" music.
Unfortunately, my dad was tone deaf and couldn't play nor sing, but he sure tried to as he was driving down the road singing "Home Home On The Range"....out of tune and loud! He knew one song which he taught me and it has stuck with me all of these years and I taught it to my kids and my grandkids....I can't sing you the tune but the lyrics that he taught me went like this: Poor Solomon Levi, my name is out of the street. That's where you buy your coats and hats and everything so neat. Second handed ulsterettes, and everything so fine. For all the boys who trade with me, at one hundred and forty nine." I loved that little tune and would sing it over and over. Later on in life, I learned there actually was a song similar to this, but my dad had the lyrics wrong. But who cares, he taught me that song so I go on singing it the way I learned it!
Music can be a savior to persons. It can soothe you, it can make you happy, it can cheer you up, it can make you want to dance. Most importantly music is an expression of feeling and it can certainly brighten your life even on a dreary day.
Back in 1963, there was one song which was a foreign song brought out by Capitol Records in the USA. It was sung in Japanese and was/and is the only foreign song to hit number 1 in the USA. The song has a snappy beat but it's actually about sadness and isolation. I thought I would end today's post with this song....so I'm posting the utube site so you can listen to this popular Japanese song from the 60's...once your hear it, you probably will remember it. The song is Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto. Enjoy Music...brighten your life!!
Don't forget the rating indicator at the bottom....thanks!
1 comment:
I knew ALL those songs, Carla!!! Love them yet to this day!!
Great Blog!!
Charlotte
P.S. Mom's lessons -- go w/us forever and ever!!
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