GOLD

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
GOLD
THE WORDS 'FORT KNOX' CAUSES ME TO THINK OF GOLD. WAY BACK 'THEN' WHEN EVERY DOLLAR WAS BACKED BY GOLD, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT BY EXECUTIVE ORDER HAD ALL GOLD COINS TURNED IN AND RECEIVED PAPER IN RETURN, ENDING 'GOLD STANDARD'.
PAPER MONEY COULD RECEIVE SILVER IN EXCHANGE. IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUR FAMILY LIVED IN, EASTERN OKLAHOMA FLINTROCK HILLS, VERY LITTLE NOTICEABLE CHANGEB IN EVERYDAY LIVELIHOOD. THE COINS WE SAW WERE ONES HANDED US AT THE 'CREAMERY' AT THE SMALL TOWN OF LOCUST GROVE IN RETURN FOR THE CREAM BROUGHT IN A HALF GALLON SYRUP PAIL. EGGS TOO, AFTER BEING 'CANDLED' BROUGHT 12 CENTS PER DOZEN.
YEARS LATER WHILE FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT WAS SERVING FOURTH CONSECUTIVE TERM AS PRESIDENT OF THESE UNITED STATES, WE COUNTRY BOYS FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL (NOT MODERN YET EXCEPT FOR ELECTRICITY).
WAR CLOUDS DRIFTED ALL THE WAY FROM EUROPE AS PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DECLARED, 'NO AMERICAN MOTHER WILL SEE HER SON FIGHTING ON FOREIGN SOIL'. SENSIBLE PEOPLE KNEW THAT HITLER MUST BE DEFEATED.
SO INTO THE MILITARY SERVICE WE YOUNG ONES WENT, EUROPE OR THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, ALSO THE AREA WHERE SARAH PALIN CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM ALASKA.
AFTER MY COUPLE OF YEARS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC DURING THE WAR, RETURNED AS MOST GOOD 'OKIES' DID AT THAT TIME, RETURNED TO OKLAHOMA. THAT IN 1945. MR. ROOSEVELT DIED WHILE IN OFFICE. HIS LEGACY IS INTERESTING AND HAS MUCH CRITICISM. (CHECK HIM OUT ON KEYWORD).
BACK TO GOLD. FOLLOWING WORLD WAR 2, MANY AMERICANS WERE VERY CONCERNED OF THE TACTICS THAT FRANCE WAS USING TO DRAW FROM OUR GOLD SUPPLY IN FORT KNOX. THE SITTING PRESIDENT WAS ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN. GOLD IS MUCH IN THE NEWS NOW. HOPEFULLY WE WILL NOT DISCOVER THAT DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SLEEPING WHILE ON GUARD DUTY AT ENTRANCES TO THE FORT KNOX GOLD STORAGE.
IF ANY OF OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 'SERGEANT OF GUARD' CONCERNING FORT KNOX, IT COULD BE A CAUSE FOR WORRY. sam
http://sayit-baldy.blogspot.com
-

PLATTER RECORDS

PLATTER RECORDS AND RECORD PLAYERS, IMPORTANT TO
POPULAR SINGERS DURING MID CENTURY, MOST RECENT CENTURY OF COURSE, A NOTICABLE EXCITEMENT COULD BE OBSERVED IN DEPARTMENT STORES NEAR THE ENTRANCE.
LIVING IN TULSA AT THAT TIME, I ENJOYED VISITING THE J.C.PENNY STORE ON MAIN STREET NOT FAR FROM THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION.
THIS PARTICULAR STORE WAS THE FIRST OF THE LARGER STORES HAVING BEEN BUILT BY MR.PENNY, AND OFTEN THERE WOULD BE MR.J.C. PENNY STANDING BY THE STAIRWAY LEADING TO THE SECOND FLOOR.
A VERY NEAT MAN HE WAS AND A GENEROUS HEAD OF WHITE HAIR, GREETED CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS SUCH AS I.
NOW THE EXCITEMENT NEAR THE ENTRANCE WOULD BE ON THE DAY OF A PLATTER RECORD BEING RELEASED FOR SALE.
ASSIGNED THE JOB OF DEMONSTRATING THE NEWLY RELEASED PLATTER WOULD BE A PRETTY YOUNG LADY OF COURSE WEARING THE ADVERTISED ATTIRE OF THE DAY. J.C. PENNY KNEW ALL THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
YES, YOUNG FOLKS, THATS THE WAY IT WAS AS T.V. EVOLVED FROM THE SNOWY SCREEN AND MANY DIALS AND RABBIT EARS DRAPED WITH FOIL RE-ARRANGED BY ONES WITH MORE EXPERIENCE OF GETTING A MORE CLEAR PICTURE.
GRANDMA COULD TELL MORE OF HOW THE DISPLAYS WERE IN THE PENNY STORES AT THAT TIME .A LARGE COUNTER FOR DISPLAYING PATTERNS. MOST FAMILIES USED A SEWING MACHINE.
AS TIME SEEMS TO PASS SO FAST, TWAS NOT SO LONG AGO.
sam

SIGNS OF TIMES

SIGNS OF TIMES


BURMA SHAVE
HOW LONG SINCE YOU HAVE SEEN A BURMA SHAVE SIGN ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF A FENCE POST ?
A GOOD BET THAT MANY YOUNG FOLKS HAVE NEVER SEEN A BURMA SHAVE SIGN ALONG AN OLD TWO LANE ROAD.
REMEMBERING BURMA SHAVE SIGNS THE MOST FOR ME WAS ALONG OLD HIGHWAY 66 BETWEEN BRISTOW OKLAHOMA AND ARCADIA OKLAHOMA. IN THE ERA OF THE 20s, 30s AND 40s THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF A STATE HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY WAS ABOUT 50 FEET. THE SLAB WHERE PAVED OR BLACK TOPPED WAS ABOUT 17 FEET WIDE TO ACCOMODATE TWO WAY TRAFFIC , OF COURSE THAT MEANT MEETING ONCOMING CARS, TRUCKS AND BUSES WITH ONLY INCHES BETWEEN VEHICLES WHEN MEETING AND PASSING.
DROPPING OFF THE SLAB COULD MEAN A ROUGH RIDE UNTIL RECOVERING. TALL WEEDS COULD BE GROWING RIGHT UP NEXT TO THE SLAB. 'FREE RANGE' ANIMALS STANDING AT THE EDGE OF THE SLAB. THIS GROWTH SELDOM MOWED BY THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. MAINTAINANCE WAS REGULATED BY LOCAL POLITICS. THE UNKEMPT AREAS HAD TRASH FROM YEARS BACK, UNLIKE TODAY'S TRASH, NO PLASTIC BAGS AND SUCH FROM FAST FOOD PLACES.
THE MOM AND POP STATIONS WHICH WERE THEN FREQUENT HAD FOR SALE TIRE AND TUBE PATCHING KITS, CRACKERS AND SARDINES, SODA POP IN THE LARGE GLASS BOTTLES WITH THE OLD ROUGH CAPS THAT REQUIRED AN OPENER AND ALSO FOR SALE WAS WATER BAGS OF CANVAS MATERIAL AND COULD BE FILLED FREE IF YOU DREW WATER FROM THE WATER WELL OUT BACK.
THE REST ROOM WAS FARTHER ON BACK AT THE END OF A WELL WORN PATH.
NOW I AM NOT HAVING YOU BELIEVE THAT ALL OF OKLAHOMA WAS LIKE THIS DURING THESE TIMES. SOME PARTS WERE SLOW TO CATCH UP.
AGAIN, POLITICS MADE THE DIFFERENCE. LOOKING BACK NOW, THE GREAT DEPRESSION DURING MOST OF THE 1930s, WAS A SLOW TIME, HOPING FOR THINGS TO GET BETTER AND MAKING DO WITH WHAT WE HAD, EXCEPTIONS BEING AS IN THESE MODERN TIMES, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WERE NOT LIVING IN FEAR OF BEING 'LAID OFF'. ONE OF THE MOST SECURE WAS A POSTAL JOB. A NEIGHBOR WAS A RURAL DELIVERY EMPLOYEE WHOM DELIVERED MAIL AROUND OUR COUNTRY SIDE USING A BIG BEAUTIFUL BUGGY HORSE AND FANCY BUGGY. BAD WEATHER NEVER STOPPED HIM.
IF MEMORY IS CORRECT, A FIRST CLASS STAMP WAS TWO CENTS IN 1930. PENNY POST CARD ONE CENT. OATS FOR THE BUGGY HORSE FOR A BUSHEL WAS TWELVE CENTS. CORN ON THE COBB ABOUT THE SAME.
SO IS IT NOT UNDERSTANDABLE MY 'MULLING OVER',HOW MUCH IS A TRILLION DOLLARS ?
BURMA SHAVE MAN, TELL US. sam shafer

FOOD DANGER EXPERTS

What a relief now to know that an outspoken food expert has proclaimed that salt is'nt really bad as has been accused. all those years thinking my life was being shortened because of addiction to salt.
Good old Granny Gage whom helped feed me when a baby, (she lived to be about 90), introduced me to the pleasurable taste of salt on ripe tomatos when I was learning to walk as she led me around. Back then about 87 years ago , I suspect that few people feared salt.
However, there were many that feared ripe tomatos. Never heard of that ? That is true. Don't know which Era of time it was though that a man announced that he would on the Public Square eat a red ripe tomato to prove they were not poison. I had heared my dad tell that story.
Back to Granny Gage, I learned to believe her about food because especially the gravy she made was so delectable. Using ham or bacon grease, browning the flour to perfection, a touch of onion, generous black pepper, touch of garlic and I was hard to stop from eating that.
Did you say salt too. Of course though she left that to us in addition to the salt she had sprinkled on. Oh the smell of that while cooking.
Other Modern Experts now agree that Sugar is not a killer. Why be a fearful victim to food experts ? Of course use moderation.
No I am not an expert though if it tastes good I will eat it.
Another thing important to remember, aside from an imbalance in our body system, it may not be WHAT we eat that makes us overweight so much as the amount we eat, so have a nice LIFETIME. sam

THIS TIME THE SHOVEL?

SHOVEL READY ?
SO WERE WE TEEN AGE BOYS THEN, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT'S DAY
BACK DURING THE 'GREAT DEPRESSION'.
DROUTH AND DUST STORMS.
TAKE A TIP FROM ME ABOUT SHOVELS. GET TO THE JOB EARLY SO AS TO GET ONE OF THE LONG HANDLE SHOVELS.
TOO TIRESOME TO LEAN ON A SHORT HANDLE SHOVEL.
THE EXPERTS COME IN WITH A TRIPOD AND PLUMB BOB, MEASURE OFF A SIX FOOT SQUARE, THEN ONE OF SEVERAL OF THE TWO MAN CREWS BEGIN DIGGING. ONLY ONE WORKS AT A TIME, THE OTHER LEANING ON HIS SHOVEL.
WHEN FINISHED, THE HOLE WILL BE SIX FEET DEEP, THEN INSPECTED BY THE PLUMB BOB CREW.
PASSING INSPECTION, THE ORDER TO REFILL THE PIT. THERE HOWEVER IS A PROBLEM. TOO MUCH DIRT. IT WILL NOT ALL GO BACK IN.
NOT TO WORRY. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN HAS EXPERTS TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS.
OUR PRESENT PRESIDENT NOW THREE GENERATIONS LATER HAS BIGGER PROBLEMS. HIS SHOVEL READY APPOINTEES HAVE PLANS AND A PRINTING PRESS. ONE PROBLEM IS FINDING AN APPOINTEE THAT WILL STICK.
HOW MANY REMEMBER THE RECENT HOWARD COSELL ? HE COULD ANNOUNCE A PRIZE FIGHT TO RADIO LISTENERS AS IF THE GUY BEING BEATEN TO A PULP WAS THE WINNER. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE OUR NEW PRESIDENT ?
Thursday, March 05, 2009 sam CANON CITY COLORADO.

IGLOO BUILT YEAR 1995

IT WAS GREAT LIVING UP ON THAT MOUNTAIN. BUILT THIS LITTLE IGLOO IN THE YEAR 1995, ONLY 75 YEARS OLD THEN AND FAIRLY HEALTHY.
THIS MOUNTAIN IS 15 MILES SOUTH OF CANON CITY COLORADO. NEW MODERN HOME, 8500 FEET ALTITUDE.
SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. COULD SEE THE AREA OF WESTCLIFFE COLORADO BELOW 15 MILES SOUTH AND WEST. LOOK UP WESTCLIFFE COLORADO ON THE KEYWORD.
NEAR MY MOUNTAIN HOME WAS THE 'GENERAL STORE, OWNED BY AUDREY AND JACK SLATER, ALONG THE OAK CREEK GRADE ROAD.
ALWAYS GOOD TO VISIT FOR 7 A M COFFEE AT THE GENERAL STORE AND LEARN 'THE LATEST'.
HAVE A NICE ETERNITY. sam

COPY OF COMMENT TO CARLENE.

March 3, 2009 9:47 AM
baldy said...
CARLENE, ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL ENTRY.DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, MY FRESHMAN YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, BEFORE OUR TIME OF SCHOOL BUSES, WALKING OVER THREE MILES TO THE SMALL HIGH SCHOOL AT LOCUST GROVE OKLAHOMA, AT TIMES DURING SNOWSTORMS, TOWN STUDENTS LOOKED UPON US WITH AWE WHEN ARRIVING AT THE SCHOOL AND MAKING ROOM NEAR THE HUGE COAL HEATING STOVE.PERHAPS WE WERE ACTUALLY TUFF. THE ONE DAY BEING ABSENT DURING THE FOUR YEARS,A SOPHOMORE, DAD WOULD NOT LET ME GO BECAUSE OF HAVING A FROSTBIT EAR THE DAY BEFORE.YOU MIGHT SAY, WHY DID'NT DAD TAKE YOU ? WE DID HAVE A CAR, AN OLD 8 CYLINDER BUICK, WHEELS STILL BEING MADE WITH WOODEN SPOKES. DAD HAD PAID 30 DOLLARS FOR IT AT A USED CAR LOT IN TULSA. THE CAR WAS GUARANTEED TO BE USED.NO, DON'T GO, DAD SAID.THE TEMPERATURE WAS 15 BELOW ZERO AND TO DRIVE THE OLD BUICK WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TO FILL THE RADIATOR WITH HOT WATER, PUMP UP A COUPLE OF TIRES AND EVEN THO WITH A WEAK BATTERY, IT WOULD HAVE STARTED BECAUSE OF THE LONG DOWNGRADE FROM THE HOUSE.YOUNG FOLKS NOW MIGHT NEED AN EXPLANATION OF STARTING A CAR BY 'COMPRESSION' , LETTING THE 'CLUTCH' OUT WHILE CAR IS MOVING FORWARD.YEARS LATER, MARRIED, SEVEN CHILDREN AND LIVING IN SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI, NEXT DAY AFTER A HEAVY SNOW, OUT IN THE YARD BUILDING AN IGLOO.YES,AND THERE IS AVAILABLE SNOW BLOCK 'FORMS' OF PLASTIC. PACKED WITH SNOW CREATES A BLOCK FOR USE IN MAKING AN IGLOO.WITH CHILDREN'S HELP ONCE MADE AN IGLOO TWELVE FEET IN DIAMETER AND COULD STAND UP INSIDE.SOME OF MY OLDER ENTRIES SHOW IGLOOS THAT I MADE AFTER THE CHILDREN WERE GONE. MADE ONE AS LATE AS 1995. I WILL TRY TO PLACE A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE IGLOOS IN A FOLLOWING ENTRY.BACK TO CARLENE'S SNOW DOWN SOUTH, WE LOVE TO READ YOUR STORIES OF YESTERYEAR. sam

PERSIMMON BLOOM HONEY

KATH WHETTED MY APPETIRE FOR PANCAKES AND MEMORIES OF THE OZARKS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

FOLLOWING IS THE COMMENT SENT TO KATH.

HOT CAKES WITH HONEY(PERSIMMON BLOOM HONEY).IN THE OZARKS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA, ALL OF ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI ARE PERSIMMON TREES, WHITE BLOOMS COME OUT IN SPRING AND WITH WORK OF BEES PRODUCE A WONDERFUL FLAVORED HONEY.IN THE FALL THE FRUIT DEVELOPS INTO A FIRM GREEN COMPOSITION WHICH HAS A SOUR PUCKERING TASTE.HOWEVER AFTER FROST THE FRUIT IS TRANSFORMED INTO A SHRIVELED YELLOWISH TAN COLOR AND SUCH A DELICIOUS TASTE.ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF 'MEAT' ON EACH FRUIT AND BLACK SEEDS ARE LARGE.WE HILLBILLY BOYS WERE EXPERT ON GETTING THE SWEET PART.OPOSSUMS LOVED THEM TOO.WHEN YOU GO OPOSSUM HUNTING, GO TO THE PERSIMMON GROVES,(AT NIGHT).sam
01 March 2009 09:20
NOTE : BAKED POSSUM IS VERY GOOD TOO. sam shafer