[Rhodes22-list] why City folk Shouldn't move to the Country

[Caesar Paul]

Elle, 
 
Your grandfather sounds like he was a responsible, resourceful and innovative man. He reminds me of my father who had us help him raise chickens and turkeys for meat and eggs, tend to pigs that he would butcher and sell to our neighbors in the village.  He also had us boys start and maintain a garden mostly of corn and pigeon peas.
 
I find it interesting that you were emotionally scared by witnessing the process of getting protein on the table.  Growing up it was my job every week to catch, kill, pluck and sometimes gut the biggest chicken in the yard.  It was sometimes exhausting, but always a bloody business.  I think I am emotionally well adjusted today for having that experience.
 
It is said that one man's tonic is another man's poison.  Anyway thanks for sharing, and I really like that tit-bit about your grandpa.
 
Now, I might be opening a hornet's nest by paying you this compliment, but hear goes; You may have been emotionally scared then, but today you sound like one the more emotionally sound persons on this list, and I am sure that there are others who would attest to that, not that you need it.
 
It's fun enjoying your pictures, and benefiting from you contributions.
 
Caesar  

--- On Tue, 11/18/08, elle <watermusic38 at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: elle <watermusic38 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] why City folk Shouldn't move to the Country
To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 8:27 AM

My maternal grandfather settled in the coal regions of PA several years after
entering the US in the Great Migration at the turn of the century.

He hunted (for sustenance, not sport) deer and various other animals that
eventually found their way onto the dinner table.

I remember seeing Nono (Italian for 'grandfather') come into the car
shed (calling it a garage would upgrade it) wirh a string of prey..rabbits &
I could swear that at one time I saw snakes...but couldn't swear to it...

Anyhow, at the dinner table , we would be exhorted to eat the 'pot
roast' or 'chicken'. Somehow the events in the garage never
connected to the wingless 'chicken' with many legs that was on the
dinner platter.

Someday I'll tell you how I was emotionally scarred by watching my
grandmother wring the necks of pigeons that again magically transformed
themselves into chicken for the table.

No wonder my Nonny was such a fantastic cook...she took whatever they had and
made it into something that today people pay big $$$ for....

Polenta (cornmeal) was often the only thing they had....we'd eat it sitting
around the big wooden board...some tomato sauce on top...a feast. They called it
peasant food...nowadays it is on the menu of very chi-chi Italian restaurants.


elle



We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.

1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)


--- On Tue, 11/18/08, Joe Babb <joe.babb at comcast.net> wrote:

> From: Joe Babb <joe.babb at comcast.net>
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list]  why City folk Shouldn't move to the Country
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
> Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 8:34 AM
> Hi Caesar,
> Cool.  It's interesting to know the name of animals
> like the possum in 
> other languages.
> A racoon is tanuki in Japanese (hopefully I got the
> spelling right).
> 
> We never ate possum.  I think my Mom probably looked upon
> them as 
> 'dirty'.  They caused us
> problems in East Tennessee because they would sneak into
> the chicken 
> house at night and eat eggs
> or even a chicken if they could get away with it.  We had
> to remember to 
> close up the hen house
> every night.
> 
> My wife, Sharon, grew up in Vermont.  She tells a story
> about a New York 
> hunter who brought
> in a small cow to the weigh station one time bragging about
> the "deer" 
> he had shot.  The judge
> was not pleased and told him he was not welcome to hunt in
> Vermont 
> anymore.  Yet another
> reason why City folk should not move to the country. 
> *grin*
> 
> Joe
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