The Other Shoe

Do you ever see a single shoe beside the road?  Sometimes there is a single shoe hanging from an overhead wire.  I always wonder what happened to the other shoe.  The question becomes how did the person lose one shoe and not notice?  Is this something that only happens in the US?  Do other countries experience single shoe losses?  Of course, there is, also, the case of the one missing sock.

My dad was an appliance repairman.  At times repairs required that he pull out the inner tub of a washing machine when repairing it.  Oh, the things he would find!  That 'other sock' was often in there.  Bras and other small objects would be found.  It was not unusual for him to find coins and even bills in that area.  On one such occasion, he found almost $30 in the outer tub.  While some would have pocketed the find, Daddy handed the money and the repair bill to the owner.  The person was shocked by Daddy's honesty.

Today happens to be Daddy's day of birth 108 years ago.  It is, also, one year sober for #3 grandson.  Another bit of interest that links Daddy and #3 is this.  On the way back home from Daddy's funeral was the first time Ex-DIL felt #3 kick.

There is a saying here in the US we use when anticipating a happening.  The saying is 'waiting for the other shoe to drop".  You can read about the possible origin of this phrase here.  As some of my readers may remember just about a year ago a shoe dropped pretty hard on my family.  Sister #1 was told unless she began chemo immediately, she would not see summer arrive.  The last year has been filled with good and not-so-good days for her.  Generally, the chemo treatments have kept the cancerous tumors confined.   This week changed all that.  A recent scan shows the tumor has spread into the bladder.  Chemo has ceased and hospice begins next week.  We had already set us a sister time at #4's little lake house.  That is still on because each day grows even more precious now.  Surely dread the sound of that second shoe.

Take care,

Janice

 

August 17, 2020

 It is funny how sayings get started.  One of Daddy's sayings was said as one word,  Quityourbellyakin".  "Quit your belly aching" I guess came from someone groaning and crying in pain.   Daddy talked of rat killings and goat ropings when talking about parties.  One day I asked what on earth was a rat killing.  He explained that the corn cribs in the farmers barnyards would be full of corn for the farm animals.  The rats would infest the irresistible food supply.  In order to protect the food supply neighbors would gather with their dogs.  The sides of the corn cribs would be removed.  Rats would run in all directions with dogs in pursuit.  The men would move to a different farm and repeat the process.  Often the women would gather at one of the farms.  There would be food for the workers and the women and children.  In rural areas it became almost a sort of party, hence, a rat killing.  

Goat roping were similar to the rat killing.  Neighbors folks gathering helping to catch goats.  Daddy said Uncle Clay brought that expression back from his time in Europe during WWII.  Goat ropings were not part of the rural life in North Texas.  That may have changed now as goats are seen frequently in uncultivated fields or pastures.  I suppose the closest event to these two activities would be the Amish barn-raising gathering.  Men and boys work to build a barn.  Women and girls work to provide needed food and water.

The where sayings start train of thought came about from an email from a cousin this AM.  I had seen the email several times in the past.  Many of the sayings harken back to hard times and living conditions.  Sayings like peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.  My Sis #2 cringes if we leave food out of proper refrigeration any longer than is required.  Sis #2 was the cafeteria manager for a large elementary school.  Proper food prep and storage was her profession.

All this talk of sayings leads me to wonder something.  Will there be some sort of sayings to come out of the Covid 19 pandemic?  Sis #1 calls it pandamnit.  It may take a while for the sayings to appear frequently enough to become common usage.  Or maybe words will take on different meanings or usage.  40 years ago 'text' were words in print.  Now 'text' is a verb.  Mail was paper notifications like letters and magazines.  Electronic mail became shortened to email.  Fewer letters and magazines.  I read the newspaper from an email just today.

If you would like to share some sayings from your part of the world that could be fun to read.  I need to get the pillows off the patio.  Hear tell we are about to get a gully washer.

Ya'll all take care.

Janice

L to r, Granny C, 76, Grandma R, 72, Sister #1, 23, Aunt Billie, ?

Not sure if this photo from 1959 is a goat roping, rat killing or a barn raising.  Could be Sunday dinner.

January 3, 2019

Well, hope you had a great holiday season.  Ours still has one more gathering then I may put the 24 inch (.6 M) fake tree away for another year.  I shall not bore you with the litany of trips, gifts and events over the last few weeks.  Let's just say that a lot of food was involved and maybe 3/4 of a stone is now added to my mid section.  Or there abouts.

I did complete the French bulletin board to replace our mirror that was broken in November.  When I by habit look at myself to make sure everything in tucked in place I see this:

Those are family and friends.  I have added more as they have arrived by snail mail.  It is wonderful to see the faces of all these folks that have been part of our various phases of life.  These are just the photos.  There were probably 75 or 80 cards as well.  I do love that part of the holidays, catching up with friends.

Changing directions entirely I read where a person was on their death bed.  That is not something one hears usually.  A person is on hospice or palliative care but never 'death bed'.  Or at 'death's door'.  I do still hear 'they haven't much longer.  Or time is short.  Are we being more precise in the care a person is receiving or just not sounding as final?

Needless to say this has me thinking about other expressions that have gone by the wayside of common usage. 

• Smart as a whip.  How is being as intelligent as a whip possible?  Is there a whip school I did not attend or even know about in our area?
• Slow as molasses. "In January" would be added to emphasis an even slower pace.  I would assume that the reduced use of molasses may have led to the infrequent use of this term.  However, one of the grands favorite treats are sorghum chewies.      
• Cute as a bug.  Okay, which bug?  Ticks, flies, mosquitoes, wasps, hornets are not especially cute to me.  Maybe a lady buy or dragon fly.  Not ants.
• Here is a list of some I never heard used.  Will not add to this list.
• Corporal punishment indicators.  
• A trip to the woodshed.  Not as many woodsheds to go to for a whoopin'.
• Slap you into the middle of next week.  Usually used on a "smart mouth".
• Slap you bug huntin'.  Similar to being slapped into the future but apparently looking for a cute bug.
• Take a strap to your backside.  The strap was a leather sharpening device for single blade razors.
• I'll swan.  To be slightly amazed or surprised.  "Well, I'll swan" = more amazed or surprised.  A very versatile expression as one would us when hearing possibly sad news like a person in the hospital.  I heard my Mom say it when someone unexpectedly came to visit.
• Good Sakes.  A favorite for my Grandma Rogers.  Usually expressing exasperation.
• For Goodness sake, a form of the above good sakes.  It was a more positive reaction like to an unexpected gift.

Times change, expressions change as contexts of life change.  After all the buggy whip makers showed they were smart as whips if they retooled to make maybe seat covers out of leather instead of whips.  Or maybe belts to run engines.  Let us do remember that there are still folks that use whips so there still are whip makers.  Will wonders never cease?

Janice