Am I the first hillbilly??? Wee-doggies!! ~WV~

[Backyard Buddies]

Yep, I get all the same comments as Oakland down here behind the Orange Curtain. I wear this badge proudly, and in doing so, I find that others start to think it's not too bad of a way to live.

Don't give up on the young folks Beekissed. . . Sometimes these things skip a generation. My g-grandmother and grandmother owned a catering company in Hollywood back in the silent film era until about 1960. My mom grew up with lots of really, really good leftovers. Consequently, she never learned how to cook. And, who would when you got to have party food for breakfast every morning?! I like to joke that I learned how to cook out of self defense after growing up on Mom's cooking, but truthfully, I found the way that my grandmothers lived to be fascinating. I loved going over to my grandmothers' houses for the yummy treats they'd whip up. From them, I learned that there was another way.

So, if your boys don't get it now, their wives might. Or they might, in time. Or their children might learn by going over to grandma's house. Either way, you've learned a wonderful, fulfilling way to live, so that's an amazing thing in and of itself!

 

[Beekissed]

:bouquet Whew! I'm glad! I really like your posts and I wouldn't want to step on toes here! I like this forum!

 

[Tutter]

Yep, I get all the same comments as Oakland down here behind the Orange Curtain. I wear this badge proudly, and in doing so, I find that others start to think it's not too bad of a way to live.

Don't give up on the young folks Beekissed. . . Sometimes these things skip a generation. My g-grandmother and grandmother owned a catering company in Hollywood back in the silent film era until about 1960. My mom grew up with lots of really, really good leftovers. Consequently, she never learned how to cook. And, who would when you got to have party food for breakfast every morning?! I like to joke that I learned how to cook out of self defense after growing up on Mom's cooking, but truthfully, I found the way that my grandmothers lived to be fascinating. I loved going over to my grandmothers' houses for the yummy treats they'd whip up. From them, I learned that there was another way.

So, if your boys don't get it now, their wives might. Or they might, in time. Or their children might learn by going over to grandma's house. Either way, you've learned a wonderful, fulfilling way to live, so that's an amazing thing in and of itself!

That's so cool, interesting, and familiar!

My Grandparents, great-grandparents etc. cooked, grew food etc., but my mother didn't find the life-style the least but enchanting. So while we did have fruit trees as part of our yard, and lots of beautiful plants, my parents never had so much as a teensy vegetable plot, never hung out clothes, never had chickens, etc. etc.

And then they had me....LOL!

I, too, learned from my grandparents that there were people that did all the things that my mother didn't. Don't get me wrong, my mom is the least lazy person I know, she never stops, even now, and she's terrific, we talk every day. But she just didn't/doesn't think living her parents' life was for her. As I wouldn't want to trade my garden, chickens etc. for her non-garden, non-chicken life, I suppose.

So yes, it can definitely skip generations!

Someday we should talk about Hollywood!

 

[Tutter]

A lot of kids/people, have, unfortunately, lost the concept of where their food comes from, and, logically, it's more the people in cities, than the country kids. A larger portion of the latter see cows, chickens, fields of crops, and home gardens.

There was a statistic which said that 40% of Americans didn't know that bread was made from wheat. (Not all is, but for most people's purposes, it is.)

When my children were small, I volunteered to teach a short series on where food comes from. A lot of city kids really do think soup comes from a can. And don't even think of asking them how you get honey or cheese.

I thought grade school was a time when all kids learned that: "The cow say's 'moo', and gives us milk. " "Farmer Brown is picking corn so that all the children can have some for dinner." What happened?

So yes, some people know, but trust me on this, a lot don't. It's sad, and a little scary.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

To further your point Tutter.

We were driving by a bunch of dairies and the happy california cows were outside. My 12 year sister asks, "What are those cows for?" and my 7 year old brothers pipes up from the back seat and says, "They're for milk and the brown ones are for chocolate milk, duh!"

Those are the same kids that won't eat eggs that came from the "outside" chickens at my grandparents ranch.

Sadly, they live in the city and they need to get out to me more.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Chocolate milk cows?!! That's funny, and cute!

I agree, Tutter, and think it's really sad that kids don't really understand where their food comes from. But, why should they? For many kids, their folks don't cook. I mean REALLY cook. Sure, they heat up something from the frozen section in the store or open a can, but very few of my friends actually go to the store, or better yet their garden, and put ingredients together to make something. They think it takes too much time, and life IS busy. With two school age kids myself, I fully understand.

Thankfully, even though my mom never cooked, my dad did. No, he didn't make the meals every evening. Mom did that. But, Dad did cook all the fancy stuff - Thanksgiving turkey, Saturday breakfast (including breakfast in bed for us kids from time to time), his famous salsa from his home grown tomatoes, and awesome Mexican food. Dad wasn't afraid to do things and it was also from him that I learned to try new things. Sadly, Dad died young (47) when I was just becoming an adult, so there was much that I didn't learn from him that I wish I could have.

So, I guess I can say that it didn't *fully* skip a generation. Parents can and do influence a different lifestyle for their kids, but I think that they need to actually teach as they demonstrate. My dad certainly did for us.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Those are the same kids that won't eat eggs that came from the "outside" chickens at my grandparents ranch.

The teenage neighbor who babysits my chickens when we're out of town loves my home grown eggs. Her mom, on the other hand, won't touch them. Even though she knows they're better, it disturbs her to know *where* they came from. Even though she says she knows their environment is waaaaay better than the store eggs, she says she'd rather pretend she didn't know.

 

[wvsheila]

Are there any West Virginians out there that have ever canned ramps. I have but can't remember how long to pressure cook them and I have a bushel to do. I will freeze some Dehydrate some and can a few jars if I can remember how long!

 

[Purple Strawberry]

Welcome to TEG!!!!


I have plenty of family in Maysville and visit yearly. I love the mountains as much as you describe them. I wish I could get my husband to move.

 

[laurenlulu]

Hey! I sent you a PM Beekissed, I'm in Martinsburg WV. Where in the panhandle do you live?

I have an acre and a half on a mixed use road... We bought our house from my husbands grandmother when his grandfather passed away. His grandfather was retired and spent almost ALL his time gardening, so I've got a lot of catching up to do. I didn't touch anything the first two years we lived here, and we've been here almost 4. I'm slowly trying to restore all the flower beds, but my veggie garden is what I really care about.

WVSheila- I saw someone on craigslist around ehre selling ramps... I really dont know what they are