Great-Great-Grandma
Elga’s Squirrel Stew
2
or 3 squirrels cut into serving sized pieces
2
green peppers, chopped
2
large onions, chopped
3
carrots, chopped
3
rhubarb ribs, chopped
3
or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2
large potatoes, chopped
3
quarts of water
Corn
or a bean of your choice
Salt
and pepper
3
quarts of water
4
large tomatoes, whole
Add
the water and seasonings to a large pot and turn on the heat to simmer. Add in
the squirrel meat and all the vegetables. Let simmer for 2 or 3 hours and then
add in the whole tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Let simmer until ready to eat.
For
an added treat make some homemade sourdough or wheat bread with whipped butter
and you have a feast made for a coal miner after a hard day in the mines.
This House is a
Home - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With
Your Taste Buds, A Book and A Dish
"Just
go in and do your business,” Uncle Rich said as we approached the wooden shack.
“This is old school all the way. Do me a favor though. See if you
can find any toilet paper in there."
I
was stunned. What did he mean by that? I slowly walked into this
small shack that looked like it was falling down and searched for the light
switch. Not finding one I left the door ajar to allow the sunshine to
stream in. Once fully inside I saw a long piece of wood along one side of it
that looked like a couch without any cushions. There was a hole in the middle
of it with a toilet seat attached to it. I assumed this was where I had to go.
I closed the wooden door behind me that had a half moon cut out near the
top if it and slowly lifted the seat. A tremendously bad odor arose very
quickly... I squeezed my nose shut with two fingers while I did my thing... Even
though I didn't need it, I looked around like Uncle Rich suggested and found no
toilet paper. I did find a Sears catalog and wondered why it was there but there was nothing to wipe your butt with... Uncle
Rich was waiting for me when I finished.... "What's the catalog for?"
I asked. "That's old-time toilet paper,” he answered with a smile. “You
can read while doing your business and then just rip a page out and use
it."
In
the 1970's teenager Peter was assigned to do a summer report on his family
history. Being from a family of divorce he didn't know his dad's family
all that well and knew very little about his mom's side either. He did know his
grandfather but when Peter tried to talk to him about the ‘good old’ days, his
grandfather, Vern, would joke around, take a draw off his cigar and another
swig of his always present bottle of whiskey. Peter's mom and uncle
decided the best way for him to find out about his family was to go back to the
coal mines of Southern Illinois. Boy was he in for a surprise, as well as an
education.
Once
in a while I pick up a book that takes me back in time. This was one of
those books. As I read about the 'outhouse' I couldn't help but go back
to my own life in the 1970's when we would visit my dad's distant relatives in
the North Georgia mountains. They too had the outhouses, the cow and chickens,
the pot belly stove for heating and cooking, and the way of talking that only
comes from the mountains. My first visit was much like what Peter first
experienced. I couldn't believe people actually lived like this. Where
was the AC? Where was the TV? What was that thing my 4th cousin was
pushing up and down after pouring milk into it? And best of all, what did
I just eat?
Whether
you grew up in the 1970's or not, this book will not only transport you to the
way life used to be, and I'm sure still is in some places, but it will also
teach you the same lesson that Peter learned from his great-aunt Maddy, "A
house is just a building, what makes it a home are the people in it. It doesn't
matter where you live or what you do as long as you have family you're taken
care of."
I
love this book!