LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Oh, those wives tales and …isms

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Water St., Waterville, The Plains, circa 1930. Note the trolley in the center of the photo. The trolley ceased operations on October 10, 1937. Many of the buildings in this photo are no longer there. (photo courtesy of Roland Hallee)

by Roland D. Hallee

One of the things about growing up on The Plains in the 1950s and ‘60s, is all the wonderful things you can pass down to your children and grandchildren. Granted, they look at you kind of funny when you tell these tales, because they are not sure if you are telling the truth or trying to put one over on them.

You have to admit, times are different, and sometimes they can’t believe how life was back then.

For instance, all those “mother-isms” and wives tales that were brought down from Canada, which they grew up believing.

OK, so let’s take a look at some of them.

Growing up the third born of four boys, I got a lot of hand-me-downs from my two older brothers. When the oldest outgrew the clothes, they were handed down, cleaned and mended when needed. I can’t tell you how many pairs of pants I wore that contained patches, and mended holes. This is where I get strange looks from my grandchildren. Our mother would actually darn the holes in our socks. Today, they just throw them out and buy new ones, if they wear socks at all.

When you reached a certain height and your pant legs were now above your ankles, those pants were referred to as being “high water pants”. Meaning, of course, that should there be a flood or “high water”, your pants wouldn’t get wet.

Here are two others, usually during the winter:

Being busy with snow shoveling, building snow forts, or taking care of our backyard ice rink, we often went storming out of the house without closing the door behind us. That’s when our mother would yell, “close the door, we are not heating the outside!” But, you had to be careful. Once, in my haste for time, I went back and slammed the door behind me, breaking the glass in the process. That cost me $1.50 out of my hard-earned money from my paper route, plus a walk to the hardware store, Waterville Hardware and Plumbing, on Main St., to replace the window. It was a cold night and the wind was blowing. I was always gentle closing the door after that.

A second one was when you came back into the house, cold and shivering, and in a hurry to huddle around the wood stove. You would, again, leave the door open behind you. Thence came the call, “close the door, we don’t live in a barn!” So, we went back and closed the door, gently.

This next one is a good one. I’ve told it to a lot of people, and no one, to this day, has ever heard it before. Our mother was a self-proclaimed meteorologist.

She would get up early in the morning, and begin to get breakfast for us before taking on the task of waking us and getting us ready to deliver our paper route. On the third day of every month, she would proclaim – whatever the weather – that whatever the weather is on the third day of the month, was going to be the prevailing weather for that month. Over the last six decades plus, I have meant to keep track of that, but by the time the end of the month comes around, I have forgotten what the weather was on the third day. An inexact science that I have been unable to prove.

Speaking of the weather, here is another:

We would get up, usually it was still dark, and we would get dressed without turning on a light. Then, we’d go downstairs. If your shirt wasn’t buttoned properly – like the buttons were in the wrong button holes – our mother would exclaim, “What are you trying to do, change the weather?” That usually came when we had experienced a recent spell of nice weather. I guess it was an old wives tale, but it’s another one I haven’t been able to prove.

I’m sure there are others, but these were the ones that I remember, and actually, still use to this day, to some degree, much to the amusement of my grandchildren. Thankfully, my great-grandchildren are too young to indoctrinate them. That will come later.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Andrew Johnson

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Andrew Johnson

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Andrew Johnson

Seventeenth President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), by his own hard-working ethic and insatiable desire to honorably better himself, became the kind of speaker that one New York Times correspondent would write with grudging admiration how this individual “cut and slashed right and left, tore big wounds and left something behind to fester and remember. His phraseology may be uncouth, but his views are easily understood and he talks strong thoughts and carefully culled facts in quick succession.”

As with several other presidents, Johnson was born into poverty; his early years were spent in North Carolina, his father died when Johnson was three, and his mother apprenticed the boy to a tailor.

He became a very skilled tailor but disliked his boss and ran away, eventually relocating in the Tennessee mountain village of Greeneville where he set up his own very successful tailoring business.

When 15 year old Eliza McCardle (1810-1876) first saw Andrew, she commented to a friend, “There goes my beau;” they were married a year later in her mother’s house, the ceremony being presided over by Mordecai Lincoln, the uncle of the former 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

She helped immensely with her husband’s education, especially in arithmetic and writing. And, when her husband became interested in politics, she fully supported his ambition, but rarely joined him in public appearances.

Johnson was elected mayor of Greeneville, served in the state legislature and five terms in the House of Representatives, and as governor and U.S. Senator before being picked by Abraham Lincoln to replace Maine’s own Hamilton Hamlin as vice-president when Lincoln was elected to a second term in 1864.

Andrew Johnson’s speeches and convictions resonated with the farmers and day laborers of the Tennessee mountains and valleys, a constituency that had little use for the wealthy plantation slave owners. Johnson was against high tariffs and wasteful government spending because they raised the cost of living for working people, spoke up for freedom of speech and religion and, although a Democrat, maintained a feisty independence in what was morally right.

Before Bill Clinton, and later Donald Trump, Andrew Johnson was the only president to undergo an impeachment trial, due to the obnoxious Radical Republicans who were doing their best to subvert the executive and judicial branches in attempts to pursue their own agendas, especially in relation to revenge against the former Confederate states and its citizens. Johnson, like his predecessor Lincoln, believed in a more moderate policy of healing and reconciliation as best for the country, which antagonized most of Congress; his acquittal was due to the vote of one man, Senator Edmund Ross, of Kansas, who was one of the subjects of JFK’s 1956 book, Profiles in Courage.

Droves of fascinating material on Johnson’s own presidency exists and could prove that his ranking as one of the worst presidents is grossly unfair.

In 1874, Johnson became the only former president to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate, was strangely given a hero’s welcome by the entire chamber including his former political enemies. Being a gentle forgiving man, Johnson shook hands with these enemies.

He died within six months of a stroke while visiting his daughter in July 1875, at the age of 66.

A visitor to the White House, Charles Dickens described Johnson’s face as “remarkable…indicating courage, watchfulness and certainly strength of purpose.”

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Keep holiday greens looking their best

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When outdoor temperatures are cooler, green arrangements, like this winter container garden, last much longer than indoor displays. (photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Wreaths, door swags, garlands, and containers filled with evergreens have long been part of winter celebrations and displays. Keep them fresh and looking their best throughout the holidays with minimal effort.

Fresh greenery with pliable branches and firmly attached needles will last the longest. Check for good color and an aroma you prefer. Consider buying extra greenery and storing it in the garage or another cool location. Use these to replace any indoor greenery that is starting to brown.

Recut the bottom of the stems with a sharp bypass pruner. Totally submerge the greenery in a tub of room-temperature water overnight to help rehydrate the needles. Gently crush the cut end to allow it to better absorb moisture.

Remove the cuttings from the water and once dry, seal in the moisture by spraying the greens with an anti-transpirant, often called anti-desiccant. These products seal in moisture, reducing drying due to warm, dry air indoors and drying winds and sunlight outside.

Follow label directions for application tips and dilution rates based on what you are treating. Avoid using these on juniper berries, cedar and blue spruce. The waxy coating that makes these look blue can be damaged by these products. Apply anti-desiccant products outdoors during the day, as light is needed to activate some of these chemicals. Allow the treated greens to dry for three to four hours before moving them inside.

Display indoor greenery in cool locations out of direct sunlight. This reduces moisture loss and extends the life of your garland, wreaths, and arrangements.

Keep greenery away from heat sources that speed drying, decorative lights that generate heat, and flames from candles. Check the greens every few days and replace dry, brittle, and brown cuttings with fresh greens.

Outdoor greenery lasts much longer when temperatures are cooler than indoors. Further extend their longevity by placing them in more sheltered locations, out of direct sunlight and wind where they suffer less drying. Avoid hanging wreaths and swags in front of windows in direct sunlight where the reflected light can burn the foliage. Use an anti-transpirant on outdoor greenery to help reduce moisture loss and extend your enjoyment.

Keep outdoor planters of greens looking their best throughout the winter. Keep the soil moist until it freezes when displaying spruce tips, cut holiday trees, and evergreen stems in outdoor containers. If and when the ground freezes, you can stop watering.

A bit of effort goes a long way in extending the beauty of holiday greenery.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, December 15, 2022

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To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

LEARNING THE ROPES: Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, snapped this immature bald eagle perched on a rock while looking for fish to catch.

PEEK-A-BOO: Jayne Winters, of South China, captured this squirrel peering out of a snow bank last winter.

OLD FRIENDS: Pat Clark, of Palermo, photographed this male cardinal, and blue jay friends, last winter.

How to protect yourself from holiday shopping scams

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image: AARP

Online scams cost Americans nearly $7 billion throughout 2021, according to the FBI, and with the holiday shopping season ramping up, it’s vital that people understand how to avoid falling victim to scams.

“Scams often increase with consumer spending, making the holidays ripe for scammers trying to take advantage of the season’s sense of urgency and scarcity,” said Amy Maliga, a financial educator with Take Charge America, a nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency. “It’s not enough to be aware of scams, though. You have to learn how to watch for and avoid them so your happy holidays don’t turn into a nightmare.”

Maliga shares several things to do and watch out for to avoid falling prey to holiday shopping scams:

– Use secure payment methods: Be wary of websites or sellers that request unusual payment methods like wire transfers, cashier’s checks or apps. Stick to secure payment options such as major credit cards or PayPal.

– Check for site security: Look for ‘https’ at the front of the site’s URL and the small lock icon in the browser window. These indicate that the website is secure, ensuring any data you share (such as credit card numbers or shipping details) will be encrypted when you submit it.

– Watch for spelling and grammatical errors: If you notice a plethora of spelling and grammar mistakes on a website, social media posts or other promotional materials, you likely want to shop elsewhere.

– Pay attention to reviews: Reviews can reveal much about online retailers and sellers. Are there lots of poor reviews from buyers who didn’t receive what they purchased? Or are there numerous glowing reviews that all read alike? Either may indicate the site isn’t what it claims to be.

– Watch for ‘phishy’ confirmation emails: If you receive a confirmation email for an order you didn’t place, ignore and delete it. Knowing people are likely making several orders, scammers will send a phishing email disguised to resemble a confirmation notice from legitimate retailers. If it appears legit, try manually searching the order number on the retailer’s website instead of clicking on any included links.

Don’t let scammers steal your money or your holiday cheer. If a deal or website appears too good to be true, it likely is.

For additional resources to combat financial scams and ensure holiday shopping success, explore Take Charge America’s Budget Tools.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: The nice cozy, backyard ice rink

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by Roland D. Hallee

This week we’ll take a look at another winter activity. This one required work, cold nights, and the help of some adults.

The four of us boys grew up in a family of Canadian descent: my dad and grandfather came to the United States from Canada. Even though my mother and grandmother were born in Winslow and Waterville, respectively, they were of Canadian heritage.

So, naturally, my dad played hockey in school, when he attended a seminary in Sherbrooke, Canada, (the Great Depression forced him to give up the avocation of priesthood and open a store in Waterville – lucky for me) before playing for the Notre Dame team, in Waterville. So, hockey was in our blood.

Growing up, we had an ice skating rink in our backyard. The process would begin in the fall when the grass was cut short, and 10-inch wide wooden boards were installed by driving wooden pegs into the ground, and attaching the boards to them. The area was approximately 40 feet long and 12 feet wide. It was mostly located under our mother’s clothesline, which she would not use in the winter.

When the first substantial snowfall arrived, we would pack it down using an old wooden crate filled with sand. Once the snow was leveled and compacted, we would wait for the perfect, cold night.

Our grandfather would haul the garden hose from his cellar, attach it to the spiget on the house, and drag it to the rink. We then would take turns spraying a light mist of water to form a good base. Once in place, we would apply more water until a smooth ice surface was formed. When we were finished, our grandfather would come back out, and drag the hose back to the cellar so it wouldn’t freeze. We would do this most evenings on days when we used the rink, which was mostly every day.

After school, we would get dressed warm, put on our skates, in the house, which our mother made sure we didn’t walk on her immaculately clean floors, and head for the outdoors. We would skate, shoot pucks, and even have small two-on-two pick-up games. When finished, the process would start all over to “flood” the rink and get a nice, new surface for the next day. Sorry, no Zamboni for us.

Neighborhood kids would often come to enjoy the rink with us – we even had a designated time for “public skating” for the girls. But, for some reason, when it was time to resurface the rink, they all had to go home to “suppah”, or do homework, or some other “lame” excuse. We didn’t like it, but our parents taught us how to share.

It was on that tiny ice surface that we learned to hone our hockey skills for what was to come later in life – youth hockey, high school, and beyond.

Keeping the rink going was work, but we enjoyed every minute of it because of its reward.

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Movie: Dog; Christmas music; Quotable quotes

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Dog

Movies portraying the love of man’s best friend have been melting the hearts of cynics since the days of Lassie Come Home. Another perspective was achieved in this past February’s release, Dog.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum portrays Briggs, a former army Ranger who has been removed from combat due to some brain damage. Unable to adjust to civilian life, he wants reinstatement and, after constant nagging of his superior officer, is finally given an opportunity to prove himself worthy.

A fellow Ranger, Rodriguez, has been killed in an automobile accident and his burial with full military honors takes place in five days in Nogales, Arizona, itself 1,500 miles from where Briggs lives near Tacoma, Washington.

Briggs is asked to escort Rodriguez’s service dog, a very aggressive Belgian Malinois named Lulu, as a tribute to her handler. Afterwards Briggs will take the dog to the nearby White Sands base to be euthanized. Only then will he be reinstated.

Despite being crated and muzzled, the dog destroys the inside of Briggs’ van. Other incidents include Lulu being released from the vehicle by an overzealous animal rights activist, while Briggs is elsewhere, who believes the canine is being mistreated, but who then is attacked by Lulu.

Jane Adams

The dog again escapes from the car later in Oregon and leads Briggs to a marijuana farm. Its owner, Gus, shoots a tranquilizing dart in Briggs, believing him to be an intruder, ties him up but then sees reason when his wife Tamara has a calming influence on both Briggs and Lulu.

(Here, I commend the seasoned acting of Kevin Nash and Jane Adams as the married couple.).

Kevin Nash

Inevitably Briggs and Lulu begin to bond, as other obstacles, and even a few epiphanies, occur during the remainder of their journey. At this point, I simply recommend this film for the manner in which this potentially hackneyed plot is developed in a strikingly unusual manner, with a message of hope and redemption.

The film was produced at a cost of $15 million and, since its release, raked in $85 million.

A charming Christmas album

The Mills Brothers

A very charming 1959 LP on the Dot label, Merry Christmas, features the Mills Brothers applying their unique harmonizing to 12 yuletide favorites; the six on side one include such secular examples as Gene Autry’s Here Comes Santa Claus, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and one of the finest renditions of Mel Torme’s perennially delectable Christmas Song, surpassed only by a tiny margin by the one of Percy Faith’s orchestra and ladies chorus, while the second side contains the traditional Xmas carols.

And the album can be heard on YouTube.

Quotable quote

December 3 was the 165th birthday of the great novelist Joseph Conrad (1857-1924). I offer one of his very pertinent quotes:

“It is only those who do nothing who make no mistakes, I suppose.”

 

 

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, December 8, 2022

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To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

SITTING PRETTY: Jayne Winters, of China, photographed this female cardinal perched on some bushes.

UGLY!!: Lindy Sklover, of Vassalboro, snapped this grasshopper-looking insect recently.

REMINDER OF SUMMER PAST: Judy Mathiau, of Vassalboro, snapped these colorful flowers last summer.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

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Following a few simple steps can make it easier for you to send out gifts this holiday season.

(NAPSI)—The holidays are right around the corner and sending your mail and packages with the U.S. Postal Service has never been easier or more reliable. With a little planning and the right tools, you can ensure that the perfect gift reaches everyone on your list.  

Here are seven tips to make your holiday shipping stress-free:

1. Visit USPS online: Visit the USPS website at usps.com. You’ll have access to tools like ZIP Code lookup, Find Your Local Post Office, Hold Mail, Click-N-Ship, Schedule a Pickup, and more. It’s open 24 hours a day.

2. Check the USPS Holiday Newsroom…often: Have you ever wished there was one place where you could get all the information about holiday shipping? Wish no more. From deadlines to the latest news, the Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews is your one-stop shop for all things holiday- and shipping-related.

3. Visit the Postal Store online: From stamps to supplies and even gift ideas, usps.com/store has everything to make holiday gift shipping—and shopping—easier than ever. Need free boxes? They’ve got those too. It also never closes. 

4. Check the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website: At uspis.gov you’ll find tips to protect packages and prevent fraud, along with information on items that are prohibited or restricted.  

5. Get Informed Delivery: When you sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com, not only can you get a preview of your daily mail and packages, you can also customize your delivery before your carrier arrives. Want to leave instructions to deliver your package to a specific location on your property? Now you can! You’ll even get notified the moment your package is delivered.

6. Visit USPS Operation Santa online: Get all the news and information you need at uspsoperationsanta.com. Find information on adopting a letter, getting your ID verified, shipping your gift and more. Letters to Santa will be posted beginning Nov. 28.

7. Join the conversation on social media: Stay “in the know” with the latest USPS news via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. There’s also the official podcast of the United States Postal Service, “Mailin’ It,” taking you behind the scenes with USPS.

It pays to be prepared. With these tips from the Postal Service, you’ll be ready to make this year’s holiday season the best yet!

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) first met Mary Todd (1818-1882) at a formal dance in Springfield, Illinois, in late 1839 where he had been practicing law for two years, while she had just recently moved in with an older sister from their home state of Ken­tucky.

Mary Todd Lincoln

Despite their vast differences in background – she having grown up in wealth and he in poverty – they took an instant liking to each other and visited constantly; they shared mutual interests in literature, especially reciting and rereading Shakes­peare tragedies, along with history, geography and politics and swapping anecdotes of their early years in Kentucky.

Both of them also had a keen sense of the absurd and shared much laughter as a result.

Within a year the two were engaged but then, due to an ongoing fear of marriage, he broke off the engagement. They went their separate ways for two very long years, however, not at all losing their affection for, and commitment to, each other. Mary, already knowing of Abe’s tendencies to melancholy, prayed for that glorious day when “Hamlet will be himself again,” as she confided to a close friend.

“That glorious day” finally arrived. The couple announced their intention at the very last minute and they were joined in marriage in her sister’s parlor.

Libraries of material abound on Lincoln’s rise as a politician in Congress, his horrifically challenging presidency during the Civil War and his assassination with its radical reconstruction aftermath.

His wife had her manic/depressive ups and downs but the couple loved each other up to that fateful night of April 14, at Ford’s Theater. Of their four sons, Edward died at 4 years old, in 1850, Willie at 12, in 1862, at the White House, and Tad at 18, in 1871. The oldest son Robert died at 84 in 1926.

Losing the youngest son is believed by many to have caused several breakdowns in her mental and physical health. Robert had his mother institutionalized for a few months in 1876 but her older sister eventually secured her release and freedom, after which Mary moved to France for four years.

By late 1880, due to a paralyzing fall from a chair while hanging a picture, she moved back to the states and moved in with her sister back in Springfield, Illinois, where she died in July 1882, from a stroke.

Mary Todd Lincoln was 63.