Tapping into the Past

Thought for the day:  Many people have sighed for the 'good old days' and regretted the 'passing of the horse', but today, when only those who like horses own them, it is a far better time for horses. [C.W. Anderson]

When people talk about the good old days, they're usually not talking about outhouses. Lots of neat things about the past, but a smelly outhouse ain't one of them. Even though I most definitely  prefer indoor plumbing, I still cling to some things other people might consider old-fashioned. Some of those things speak to me... and their sounds are music to my ears.

                                            Um, no ... I'm not THAT old-fashioned...

But I do hate electric can openers. Far as I'm concerned, they're nothing but a noisy nuisance, and take up way too much counter space. I mean, why use THAT...












                                        When THIS not only does the job, but fits in a drawer?

Not a big fan of electric knives, either. I've got plenty of knives, but none of them plug into the wall. It'd be kinda fun to have an electric fork, though.

Anybody know what this is?

A cow horn. An honest-to-goodness cow horn. Or at least, part of one.

It's for making Polish kielbasa. The casings go on the smaller end closest to my hand, and the sausage mixture gets shoved into the larger end of the horn and into the casing. Pretty neat, huh? I've been using that horn for more than forty years. Works great, too.

                                                       
                                                                                                  But....  check THIS out!

Cool, huh?

My brother sent this jerky and sausage maker to me right before we went to Maryland. It'll give me a whole new way to fill those casings... with a nifty-looking gizmo that kinda looks like a grease gun. (And it doesn't plug into the wall, either!) Now, THIS should be fun to play with. And as soon as we eat all the kielbasa that's already in our freezer, I'm looking forward to giving this puppy a whirl.

Okay, how about one of these? Miss them? 

Well, I don't miss the nasty job of changing a ribbon. (Remember the ones with black AND red ink?) 

Don't miss the aggravation of typing a full page, only to make a mistake on the last line, either. White Out to the rescue. Sorta.

But I do miss the feeling of rolling the paper onto the carriage, the cheerful DING! at the end of a line, the rhythmic clackety-clack of the keys, and the feeling of pulling out a completed page.

Then again, a modern day computer can do a lot of things our old typewriters couldn't do. Correcting errors is a piece of cake. Cut and paste is one of the best things ever. And, of course, flat keyboards make ideal napping spots for our feline friends.

But computers opened up a whole new world of headaches, too. Remember the dreaded blue screen of death? And why, oh why, can't someone invent a computer that does what you WANT it to do instead of what you accidentally TELL it to do...?

But no matter how wonderful today's computers are,  there is ONE thing no computer, no matter how modern and sophisticated it is, can do as well as a good old-fashioned typewriter. Make music.                            

[That music isn't exactly new. Leroy Anderson wrote it in the early '50s. He wrote a lot of light Orchestral music, much of which was introduced by the Boston Pops. But I'm betting the music is new to most of you. Totally cool, isn't it?]

Wanta see another take on that same music? This is a classic Jerry Lewis skit from the good ol' days:

So, how about you? Anything from the good old days you prefer over the modern conveniences? What's your favorite modern invention? (In these 100+ degree days, the air conditioner's looking pretty darned good.) What's the dumbest modern invention?

                                      Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Them's Fighting Words, Mister

Thought for the day:  Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.  [Gene Fowler]

Now, nobody really expects any bloodshed. No hair-pulling, deep bruises, or knocked-out teeth, either, but there's a totally kick-butt competition coming up that might interest you.

Yeah, I know I don't usually post on a Tuesday. But I just found out about this today, and wanted to tell y'all right away. (Consider this a Public Service Announcement.)

DL Hammons is hosting a head-to-head writing competition on his blog, and the bell dings for round one at the end of this month. That's right. Here's your opportunity to climb into the virtual writing ring, mano-a-mano (womano-a-womano?) and let your words do all the fighting for you. Or if you'd prefer, you can grab a bag of popcorn, sit on the sidelines, and cast a vote for your winner from each match. All entries will be submitted under an assumed name, so no judging will be based on prior biases or irresistibly bubbly personalities, either. It's all about the writing.

Whatcha think? Sounds pretty cool, huh? Submissions are to be no longer than 500 words, and will be accepted throughout most of the competition, whose final head-to-head takes place in October. Oh, and here's the best part. When the competition gets down to the last round, and there are only two contestants standing, that round will be judged by an illustrious panel of Who's whos in the publishing world. (DL has REALLY outdone himself!)

If you want to sign on, either as an entrant, a judge, or both, click on the WRITE CLUB badge in the sidebar. Go ahead. Just do it. You can find out the rest of the juicy details there, too.

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.  [Richard Back]

                                                              Ready to rumble?

Until next time ... um, tomorrow... take care of yourselves. And each other.

For Faithful Friends, Part IV

Thought for the day:  The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. [George Graham]

This is the fourth, and final, post I'll be doing to depict the incredible loyalty of dogs. (At least for now.) No wonder they're called man's best friend, huh?

In the picture is our son Tony as a youngster, along with his Springer spaniel Dumpling, a super gentle dog, and a super duper Frisbee player.


Now, then, ready to look at our last batch of pictures?

There is  no faith that has yet been unbroken except that of a truly faithful dog. [Konrad Lorenz]

This is a picture of our last dog, Buck. After Dumpling died, I was considering going to the shelter to find a Boxer to adopt, until one of the fellas on our bowling league told me his sad story. When he saw a van stop by the river, toss a puppy out the door, and then take off, he picked up the puppy  and took it home with him. The problem was, he lived in an apartment, and his landlord gave him two choices: get rid of the dog, or move out. 

So, he wanted to bring the pup over to our house. Just so I could meet him. Right. We ended up having that pup... and loving  him... for almost seventeen years. Buck was the first pet I had to carry to the vet for that awful last visit. By that time, he could barely walk, couldn't see or hear very well, and had what I'd equate to dementia. Still, on that last trip to the vet, he and I stopped at the park for one last visit. I had to lift him out of the car, but he managed to walk to the bench, and he sat beside me, almost like old times. Seemed happy to be there, but it was almost as though he knew this would be the last time. So trusting. So loyal. Broke my heart. But it was the right thing to do.

And, dammit, I still miss him.

                                  Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Uh-oh, my cats have been reading over my shoulder, and had a few choice words about all this dog talk. So, better give them a little loving here. Best cats ever! Okay, they're happy now. All they wanted is a little more respect from their staff.