What a fabulous time of year. The air is crisp and the smells of the holidays are in the air everywhere. Love the smell of a fresh cut pine tree, garland and wreaths. Love the smells that come from the kitchen when we started to bake the Christmas goodies.
My mom would do old fashion pull candy. She would dedicate one evening to us kids in the Nuckols family to pull our candy and put it in cans to take home. It was fun and usually made blisters on our hands but it was so yummy. Everyone loved her candy. She always made bourbon balls , peanut butter logs and pull candy.
The big spectacular thing she did every year was her OPEN HOUSE. She had the best of everything gotten out for this occasion. Our sweet Agnes, the maid, would polish all the silver, platters, bowls, julep cups. All the good china was brought out and every room was decorated with pine, magnolia, bright red ribbons, holly and candles. Over the middle of every door was a huge ball of mistletoe. Every room in the house was lit with candles. The tree was to the ceiling and the lights were always assorted reds, greens, blues and yellow. Our ornaments were beautiful and most were collected over the years and handed down through the years. Daddy and I would play a game on who could throw the tensil highest on the tree, of course he always won. What made it the coziest was the two fireplaces with bright embers burning.
The house was always full of lots of people. Family, friends, old and young friends of friends etc. The food was delicious, turkey old ham and beatin biscuits, shrimp, stone crab, cranberries--- homemade yeast rolls and a delicious jam cake. Of course someone always sent us a fruit cake(ugh). Never liked fruit cake, oh well.
Mom and dad had one friend that always made me laugh. His name was Doc Bond. He always brought me a paper bag of silly presents. BUT in the bottom of the bag was always a really nice gift. It was always the fun part of my Christmas Eve. He would wrap up half of an onion, a bottle opener, an orange always a bag of peanuts and some bananas silly stuff like that then a nice pair of ear rings or a bracelet or a watch or a ring. Always fun to have around on Christmas.
My Aunt would play Christmas Carols and songs on the piano and we kids would all sing. Usually everyone left around 11 because everyone would go to midnite service at church. Ones with real little ones would go home and wait for Santa. Church was one of my favorites--incense, candles and the choir plus the celebration of the coming or Our Lord. Love Christmas Mom always made it very special and was Our favorite time of the year. Love you MOM and miss you always.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Other Grandparents!!!
The way I have been going on about Nana and Dad you would think I only had one set of grandparents. I had two of course.
My moms parents, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Miles McKinlay, Mina and Paw. They were my very own grandparents and I had them to myself for 10 yrs. It was great. I loved visiting them.
Mina always had spice gumdrops in the sitting room. She always had a delicious dinner served every evening at the big dining room table. Nice china and silver and her crystal was always sparkling.
She was from Paris, Kentucky. Daughter of a well known tobacco farmer by the name of Hume Taylor Ferguson. He owned a large farm on the Paris-Georgetown pike. It was a grand home and I was always at awww of it when we would go there at Christmas. She had 6 brothers and sisters. Pop Paw Ferguson was a dear man and very hard working. He had one nasty habit, chewing tobacco. LOL and a spitune by every chair that was his favorite.
Anyway, my Paw was a gentleman and a very respected Dr. in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the head of Pediatrics at Good Samaritan Hospital, was the cheif Dr. at the Cardinal Hill Hospital for Children and was Head Pediatrician at the Shriners Hospital in Lexington. So needless to say he was a busy man and had his own practice.
My Paw was a sweet kind man and loved children. He dedicated his life to caring for the health of all children. Took his hypocratic oath very seriously and did serve his patients. He never turned down a child that needed shots or care. He would venture out in the middle of the nite to care for one that needed him. I was very lucky to have him care for me my entire younger life--and also my children when they were little ones. He was a blessing and I loved him dearly.
He was born in New York City and moved at a young age to Tenafly, New Jersey. He went to University of Penn. Cant remember where he went to med. school but it was a brilliant school.
I have the information somewhere but will have to look. He served as a Medic in WWI, did his residency in NYC at Roosevelt hospital. He met my grandmother at a dance for afluent young ladies that were eligible and also was a military dance for the young service men that were officers to meet young ladies. Anyway, they met and married and moved to NYC after the war was over and Paw could continue and finish his residency. That is where my mom was born.
When she was 6 mos. old they moved and Paw opened his practice in Lexington, Kentucky.
Anyway, visiting them was always nice. Usually after supper Paw and I would take a walk and go to the old Ball Ice Cream Co. on North Broadway in Lexington. He would always buy me a double decker Ice Cream Cone. It was the best Ice Cream in the world. I wasnt suppose to have but one dip but he always got me two and made me eat one before we got back to the house.
They lived in the cul de sac of Fayette Park off of North Broadway. It was a grand old home.
And had plenty of room for me to ride my tricycle and later a bike. There were lots of evenings that Paw would let me play his eukalale. It was fun and loved to hear him strum it and sing little old songs he knew.
My sweet Mina was the one that taught me to say the Lords Prayer. She and I would kneel beside her bed and say it together. Then I would ask her to rock me in the huge old rocking chair she had in her room and sing to me. Then I would go to bed. I got to sleep in the other twin bed in her room. I loved it the sounds of the city. Put me to sleep immediately.
Well enough for tonite getting sleepy and need to get some rest. Miss you Mina and Paw.
My moms parents, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Miles McKinlay, Mina and Paw. They were my very own grandparents and I had them to myself for 10 yrs. It was great. I loved visiting them.
Mina always had spice gumdrops in the sitting room. She always had a delicious dinner served every evening at the big dining room table. Nice china and silver and her crystal was always sparkling.
She was from Paris, Kentucky. Daughter of a well known tobacco farmer by the name of Hume Taylor Ferguson. He owned a large farm on the Paris-Georgetown pike. It was a grand home and I was always at awww of it when we would go there at Christmas. She had 6 brothers and sisters. Pop Paw Ferguson was a dear man and very hard working. He had one nasty habit, chewing tobacco. LOL and a spitune by every chair that was his favorite.
Anyway, my Paw was a gentleman and a very respected Dr. in Lexington, Kentucky. He was the head of Pediatrics at Good Samaritan Hospital, was the cheif Dr. at the Cardinal Hill Hospital for Children and was Head Pediatrician at the Shriners Hospital in Lexington. So needless to say he was a busy man and had his own practice.
My Paw was a sweet kind man and loved children. He dedicated his life to caring for the health of all children. Took his hypocratic oath very seriously and did serve his patients. He never turned down a child that needed shots or care. He would venture out in the middle of the nite to care for one that needed him. I was very lucky to have him care for me my entire younger life--and also my children when they were little ones. He was a blessing and I loved him dearly.
He was born in New York City and moved at a young age to Tenafly, New Jersey. He went to University of Penn. Cant remember where he went to med. school but it was a brilliant school.
I have the information somewhere but will have to look. He served as a Medic in WWI, did his residency in NYC at Roosevelt hospital. He met my grandmother at a dance for afluent young ladies that were eligible and also was a military dance for the young service men that were officers to meet young ladies. Anyway, they met and married and moved to NYC after the war was over and Paw could continue and finish his residency. That is where my mom was born.
When she was 6 mos. old they moved and Paw opened his practice in Lexington, Kentucky.
Anyway, visiting them was always nice. Usually after supper Paw and I would take a walk and go to the old Ball Ice Cream Co. on North Broadway in Lexington. He would always buy me a double decker Ice Cream Cone. It was the best Ice Cream in the world. I wasnt suppose to have but one dip but he always got me two and made me eat one before we got back to the house.
They lived in the cul de sac of Fayette Park off of North Broadway. It was a grand old home.
And had plenty of room for me to ride my tricycle and later a bike. There were lots of evenings that Paw would let me play his eukalale. It was fun and loved to hear him strum it and sing little old songs he knew.
My sweet Mina was the one that taught me to say the Lords Prayer. She and I would kneel beside her bed and say it together. Then I would ask her to rock me in the huge old rocking chair she had in her room and sing to me. Then I would go to bed. I got to sleep in the other twin bed in her room. I loved it the sounds of the city. Put me to sleep immediately.
Well enough for tonite getting sleepy and need to get some rest. Miss you Mina and Paw.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Dress Up Days
Many days spent at Nana's house on the farm were fun. Her house was so massive that it could be scarey if you were to spend the night with her and Dad alone. It was always more fun to stay with another cousin.
My mom and Aunts used to go to lunch at Nana's quite often. We 3 girls would go upstairs and be nosey. We always were leary of the attic. Making up stories of the boogy man and ghosts in the attic we always shy ed away from going up there.
One day we decided that we would be adventurous and be brave and scout out the attic.
It was amazing in what we found. A little girls dream for dressing up. It was unbelieveable!!
We found beautiful old fashion dresses, shoes, huge wide brimmed hats, gloves and a box of old dolls. We all 3 thought we had hit the mother load.
The dresses were of tafita and lace. One was a lavender dress with a gorgeous shash and covered in lace. It had matching gloves and shoes and a huge wide brimmed hat with flowers and grogain ribbons flowing off of it. The other was a pale pink and had beads and lace covering the bodice and lace covering the tafita. Long sleeves of lace with little beads for buttons.
Huge full crinalines and two gorgeous ball gowns that went with them.
There were some pantaloons and one gown with a hoop skirt.
The box of dolls were different. They were all very old and had handpainted faces. They were very different. The clothes were all handmade. We found out that Nana's aunt and grandma loved making doll clothes. They made all of Nana's doll clothes. The were very unique.
Well after finding all these new things to play with we would put on style shoes for the ladies.
Nana would find some music on the radio and we would strut our stuff and twirl around.
They would snicker at us and clap and we would all giggle.
With putting on heels that were too big we would topple over every once in a while. We would all laugh and keep on styling.
Nana was very giving and would let us play with the dresses and other things as long as we put them back in the trunk the way we found them. What fond memories those are. We had found new treasures at Nana's and had a blast.
What a great lady she was!!! God Bless Nana!!!
My mom and Aunts used to go to lunch at Nana's quite often. We 3 girls would go upstairs and be nosey. We always were leary of the attic. Making up stories of the boogy man and ghosts in the attic we always shy ed away from going up there.
One day we decided that we would be adventurous and be brave and scout out the attic.
It was amazing in what we found. A little girls dream for dressing up. It was unbelieveable!!
We found beautiful old fashion dresses, shoes, huge wide brimmed hats, gloves and a box of old dolls. We all 3 thought we had hit the mother load.
The dresses were of tafita and lace. One was a lavender dress with a gorgeous shash and covered in lace. It had matching gloves and shoes and a huge wide brimmed hat with flowers and grogain ribbons flowing off of it. The other was a pale pink and had beads and lace covering the bodice and lace covering the tafita. Long sleeves of lace with little beads for buttons.
Huge full crinalines and two gorgeous ball gowns that went with them.
There were some pantaloons and one gown with a hoop skirt.
The box of dolls were different. They were all very old and had handpainted faces. They were very different. The clothes were all handmade. We found out that Nana's aunt and grandma loved making doll clothes. They made all of Nana's doll clothes. The were very unique.
Well after finding all these new things to play with we would put on style shoes for the ladies.
Nana would find some music on the radio and we would strut our stuff and twirl around.
They would snicker at us and clap and we would all giggle.
With putting on heels that were too big we would topple over every once in a while. We would all laugh and keep on styling.
Nana was very giving and would let us play with the dresses and other things as long as we put them back in the trunk the way we found them. What fond memories those are. We had found new treasures at Nana's and had a blast.
What a great lady she was!!! God Bless Nana!!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Whew the house is quiet once more. I can think again!!!!
Mom and Dad used to go to lots of football, basketball, cocktail parties, sales, races and out to dinner with horse clients all the time. Many times we would stay with Nana Nuckols. She would usually take us when our nanny's were busy or couldn't come to stay with us.
Judy, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Louise's oldest daughter, and I would stay at Nana's sometimes Hetty also one of Charlie and Louise's. We used to have fun.
Nana always cooked with us in the kitchen. Dad had an asparagus patch in the back of the house. It was about an acre of asparagus. UMMMM Good I say today, but hated them when I was younger. Nana and Dad would steam them and we each had 6 beautiful asparagus. They were funny cause they would put drawn butter in a tall skinny glass and let us dip the asparagus in the glass and chew from the floral end till the stalk got tough. They were bound and determined that we were going to love asparagus and today it along with artichokes are my favorite vegetable.
Nana would also get us all to make her great oatmeal, pecan and raisin cookies. MMMM they were great. She had a recipe that made 72 of them. We had a blast. She used bacon drippings instead of lard or butter. They were the best cookies I have ever tasted don't like other oatmeal cookies. Still can taste the flavor of her cookies. None can compare. Of course we look like we had a flour fight after the making of the cookies. We had to clean the dishes too and kitchen afterwards. The cookies were the reward for cleaning up our mess. She also gave us a glass of milk--ice cold--. It was good and we all had a blast.
We would play games Simon Says, Rock School and hop scotch weather permitting. We would play Simon Says and Rock School on Nanas steps going upstairs. It was fun. The winners always got a piece of butterscotch candy.
Nana was also an avid Canasta player. She taught all of us how to play Canasta. She also played a mean rubber of Bridge too. She always told us it was to complicated for her to teach us that, so we always played Canasta. She would set up the card table and cards and make us lemonade and pop us some corn. We would play on her side screened in porch. It was fun and we liked it.
Sometimes she would read her magazine at nite. Judy, Hetty and I would make up a play or a dance and perform it for her. She always got a big kick out of that. Nana knew how to entertain us and keep us busy. She was a dear sweet woman and we loved her.
Mom and Dad used to go to lots of football, basketball, cocktail parties, sales, races and out to dinner with horse clients all the time. Many times we would stay with Nana Nuckols. She would usually take us when our nanny's were busy or couldn't come to stay with us.
Judy, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Louise's oldest daughter, and I would stay at Nana's sometimes Hetty also one of Charlie and Louise's. We used to have fun.
Nana always cooked with us in the kitchen. Dad had an asparagus patch in the back of the house. It was about an acre of asparagus. UMMMM Good I say today, but hated them when I was younger. Nana and Dad would steam them and we each had 6 beautiful asparagus. They were funny cause they would put drawn butter in a tall skinny glass and let us dip the asparagus in the glass and chew from the floral end till the stalk got tough. They were bound and determined that we were going to love asparagus and today it along with artichokes are my favorite vegetable.
Nana would also get us all to make her great oatmeal, pecan and raisin cookies. MMMM they were great. She had a recipe that made 72 of them. We had a blast. She used bacon drippings instead of lard or butter. They were the best cookies I have ever tasted don't like other oatmeal cookies. Still can taste the flavor of her cookies. None can compare. Of course we look like we had a flour fight after the making of the cookies. We had to clean the dishes too and kitchen afterwards. The cookies were the reward for cleaning up our mess. She also gave us a glass of milk--ice cold--. It was good and we all had a blast.
We would play games Simon Says, Rock School and hop scotch weather permitting. We would play Simon Says and Rock School on Nanas steps going upstairs. It was fun. The winners always got a piece of butterscotch candy.
Nana was also an avid Canasta player. She taught all of us how to play Canasta. She also played a mean rubber of Bridge too. She always told us it was to complicated for her to teach us that, so we always played Canasta. She would set up the card table and cards and make us lemonade and pop us some corn. We would play on her side screened in porch. It was fun and we liked it.
Sometimes she would read her magazine at nite. Judy, Hetty and I would make up a play or a dance and perform it for her. She always got a big kick out of that. Nana knew how to entertain us and keep us busy. She was a dear sweet woman and we loved her.
Lord knows that God put me in a family of really good people that I guess during those times meant to do the best for all of us.
I had 7 cousins and at the age of 10 had a baby brother. That was a big adjustment. All my 10 yrs of life I was daddys little girl but yet his buddy. Then all of a sudden we had Hi. I wouldnt say I was totally put on the back burner, but I was not the shining star of my mom and dad anymore which really made me very envious of Hi. I know those feelings shouldnt be there and that I had their adorn attention for 10 years uninterrupted. But when it comes to a hault all of a sudden at that age you are totally confused.
Also the confusion was also brought about by mom getting very sick. It was a time then that I didnt understand. Was just told it was incurable and that she would get weaker as time went on and not to upset her. Well at age 10 lots of things and questions are in a little girl and young ladies mind. All little lady questions about body changing and boys and just girl questions that come between moms and little girls. This was hard and my dad was not the kind of man that answered little girl questions very well. I finally got told my mom had Multiple Sclerosis which they still havent found a cure for yet. It was the deteriation of the nervous system which you lose control of muscle all muscle eventually. There were not any medications back then at all.
No known causes as of today. Speculations on what caused it. It isnt hereditary and is thought to be a virus. I was kinda lost my mom and I grew very close and she was such an active person during my first decade of life. She kept up for as long as she could. Little Hi became more of my son when I grew older and I felt very tied down. Having to take him to school, birthday parties, to the club for golf lessons, etc. I thought the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I was not a real happy person for a few years after that. I rebelled and the Lord knows was a selfish person to do that to both my parents and my extended family and most of all Hi, BUT I did.
My parents went through lots of turmoil and struggles with the disease. I guess it ruined their marriage. They both were unable to heal it. My dad drank and ran around and my mom just got sicker. It ended after 27 yrs of marriage in divorce. He sold his share of the farm and remarried and moved to Florida. Dad did take care of mom, as I did and grandpa did too. We finally were transfered to Texas then NC and at the age of 57 in 1980 my sweet mom passed away. I felt so quilty about moving away and not being closer during the last couple years of her life. I dont think my dad ever forgave himself for being so selfish and being a coward not to face the music with mom. He always still deep in his heart at his death, bed confessed that he always loved mom and never stopped he just couldnt find a cure for her. He also said he was so stupid to leave the farm and to persue a life other then the farm. He missed his brothers and the closeness and stability they gave one another. Also selling out our inheritance he was so sorry. I could have cared less. And forgave him. If he could only do things over. It was so sad. He passed of cancer in 1990 almost 10 yrs to the day of moms passing.
Mom is buried in THE LEXINGTON CEMETARY in the Nuckols plot in Lexington, Kentucky and Dad is buried in Sunset Memorial Gardens beside his wife Patty just outside Melbourne, Florida.
I miss them everyday. Both in different ways but both lovingly. They tried to make the best out of a horrible situation. The memories I have of both are cute and fun and some sad but most of all my childhood was fairly happy. Its amazing how tragedies can change and sometime destroy a family. It takes lots of courage, love and patience to make families work and lots of forgiveness. I tell you this from experience because I have lived it. But we live through it and smile at the great moments and learn from the bad ones. OK enough of the morbid stuff tomorrow more fun stuff. Love my family--- they all mean the world to me. My brother Hi will never know I guess how proud and how much I love him. Its a shame we dont communicate anymore then we do but we dont. He is my only beginning family that I have left.
My sweet family give me the reason to keep on going. I love them all. I have a special moments in my heart for each of them. Its my love for them that makes me happy!!!
See you tomorrow with more!!
I had 7 cousins and at the age of 10 had a baby brother. That was a big adjustment. All my 10 yrs of life I was daddys little girl but yet his buddy. Then all of a sudden we had Hi. I wouldnt say I was totally put on the back burner, but I was not the shining star of my mom and dad anymore which really made me very envious of Hi. I know those feelings shouldnt be there and that I had their adorn attention for 10 years uninterrupted. But when it comes to a hault all of a sudden at that age you are totally confused.
Also the confusion was also brought about by mom getting very sick. It was a time then that I didnt understand. Was just told it was incurable and that she would get weaker as time went on and not to upset her. Well at age 10 lots of things and questions are in a little girl and young ladies mind. All little lady questions about body changing and boys and just girl questions that come between moms and little girls. This was hard and my dad was not the kind of man that answered little girl questions very well. I finally got told my mom had Multiple Sclerosis which they still havent found a cure for yet. It was the deteriation of the nervous system which you lose control of muscle all muscle eventually. There were not any medications back then at all.
No known causes as of today. Speculations on what caused it. It isnt hereditary and is thought to be a virus. I was kinda lost my mom and I grew very close and she was such an active person during my first decade of life. She kept up for as long as she could. Little Hi became more of my son when I grew older and I felt very tied down. Having to take him to school, birthday parties, to the club for golf lessons, etc. I thought the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I was not a real happy person for a few years after that. I rebelled and the Lord knows was a selfish person to do that to both my parents and my extended family and most of all Hi, BUT I did.
My parents went through lots of turmoil and struggles with the disease. I guess it ruined their marriage. They both were unable to heal it. My dad drank and ran around and my mom just got sicker. It ended after 27 yrs of marriage in divorce. He sold his share of the farm and remarried and moved to Florida. Dad did take care of mom, as I did and grandpa did too. We finally were transfered to Texas then NC and at the age of 57 in 1980 my sweet mom passed away. I felt so quilty about moving away and not being closer during the last couple years of her life. I dont think my dad ever forgave himself for being so selfish and being a coward not to face the music with mom. He always still deep in his heart at his death, bed confessed that he always loved mom and never stopped he just couldnt find a cure for her. He also said he was so stupid to leave the farm and to persue a life other then the farm. He missed his brothers and the closeness and stability they gave one another. Also selling out our inheritance he was so sorry. I could have cared less. And forgave him. If he could only do things over. It was so sad. He passed of cancer in 1990 almost 10 yrs to the day of moms passing.
Mom is buried in THE LEXINGTON CEMETARY in the Nuckols plot in Lexington, Kentucky and Dad is buried in Sunset Memorial Gardens beside his wife Patty just outside Melbourne, Florida.
I miss them everyday. Both in different ways but both lovingly. They tried to make the best out of a horrible situation. The memories I have of both are cute and fun and some sad but most of all my childhood was fairly happy. Its amazing how tragedies can change and sometime destroy a family. It takes lots of courage, love and patience to make families work and lots of forgiveness. I tell you this from experience because I have lived it. But we live through it and smile at the great moments and learn from the bad ones. OK enough of the morbid stuff tomorrow more fun stuff. Love my family--- they all mean the world to me. My brother Hi will never know I guess how proud and how much I love him. Its a shame we dont communicate anymore then we do but we dont. He is my only beginning family that I have left.
My sweet family give me the reason to keep on going. I love them all. I have a special moments in my heart for each of them. Its my love for them that makes me happy!!!
See you tomorrow with more!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
I must admit its an old house but a beautiful house. Many memories tend to rumble through my head when I look at it. It has changed a lot. We had white fences when I was growing up and there was a fence around the side yard at the top of the hill. We also had cattle guards that kept the cows and horse out of the yard with out having to have a gate. Over in the trees at the base of the hill is where the spring house is to this day.
My cousin lives in the house now. His family added the back end onto the house. It enlarged the kitchen and put a huge family room off of the kitchen and a large back foyer. Its nice but makes the house really large. The older house had 9 rooms and 3 baths, bar, den, formal living and dining, 4 bedrooms, back porch and two pantrys--storage and butler pantries. I love that old house. It has a large porch all the way across the front.
We had a smoke house and a chicken house and a two car detached garage in the back of the house. Dad and mom used the buildings for storage and finally they were torn down. The garage stayed but I think burned down after my cousin moved into the house. I think they rebuilt the garage. I still go by to see Alfred my cousin when I go home to visit. He is always a good host. He takes time out from his schedule to chat and have a cup of coffee with us.
I hope this gives you an idea of the closeness that we Nuckols shared as we were growing up.
We had 3 cherry trees in the side yard, 2 crabapple trees, 2 huge walnut trees and a pear tree.
Mom tried to raise a couple of peach trees but they always died. Mom loved Peonies, Janquils, crocus iris and tulips. We had a fence row of peonies they were bright red. I loved the smell.
Moms favorite smelling flower was gardenia. Bad thing is we couldnt raise them in Kentucky.
We also had forsytha bushes big big bright yellow--- I should know they made wonderful switches LOL
Well wanted you to get an idea of the house and how it has evolved through all this time. Hope the picture gives you an idea. It was taken by my brother in law from Spring Station Road. I will show older pictures of the house as I get to them. OK that is it for today.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Needless to say that my parents became very busy. The farm started growing and I still was the only child of Martha and Hiram Nuckols. My dad would lug me around with him on the farm as often as he could. I can remember walking through tall fields of tobacco and having tobacco worm fights with my cousin Nucks. He was a Charles Nuckols III so we just called him Nucks. Those worms were huge and green and ugly. We would chase each other all over the place trying to squirt the insides on one another. Dad thought it was hilarious but mom would throw a fit when I would get home with worm juice all over me. LOL I was a Tom boy due to my dads doings. I loved to round up cattle on the horse with him and go to the barns and check out the tobacco when it was curing. We had farmhands that hung the tobacco way up in the top of barns we had coal stoves that burned during the nite and it would cure the tobacco. This was a long process. Finally it was ready and we would take it to market. My dad and his brothers bought into a share of 4th Street Tobacco Warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky. Thats where we sold lots of Burley. Thats the kind of tobacco that Kentucky sold. It was bought by the big Tobacco Co. and processed into pipe, chewing, and cigar tobacco.. The tobacco in N. Carolina and Va. were bought and processed into cigarette tobacco. They were graded into 3 different grades
A, B, and C A grade was for cigar, B was for chew and C was ground and processed for pipe. It was a great part of the season for us cause we mostly had grade A and got usually top dollar for our crop. We were allotted a large acreage from the government to raise.
My granddad had a contract with the government to raise hemp during the war. We raised lots of it from what I was told. It was raised and harvested to make rope for the warships and other things they needed. Until I left the farm we still had government inspectors come and check to make sure the hemp crops had been destroyed and none had been growing wild. Hemp seeds blow and start growing anywhere they land. So we burned lots of small little patches that would pop up here and there. Thats one of the downfalls of doing a contract with the government. LOL They always pop up unannounced.
Granddad was a stern old guy. You could never put anything over on him. We had L&N railroad that ran through our farm. In some ways it was good in some it was bad. We could buy cattle and have them delivered right to the farm. We had a cattle shute where we could recieve cattle right off the train. That was fun too, watching them flow off the cattle car right into the field.
But the railroad workers tend to make my granddad a little angry. We had huge stone walls that ran along the railroad at crossings on the farm. The workers (which were predominantly black at that time) would sit and eat their lunches or take their breaks on the stone fences. This angered my granddad being of that generation he said they looked like big black crows sitting on his walls. So he asked the railroad to advise the workers not to sit on the walls. They continued, so as soon as they were finished he had the work hands on our farm cement pointed stones on top of the walls. They never sat on them again.
I to this day can remember those guys swinging hemp hooks and maintaining the railroads.
During the times in late summer or fall the sparks of the trains would set the weeds along the railroad on fire. That was scarey. The horses would run and the fires would spread. Of course we didnt have hydrants that far out from town so thank goodness for the spring below the house. It saved many an acre during my childhood. Of course this was another way that my grandfather would get even. He would bill the railroad for the man power used and the damage and the fresh spring water he used from the spring. LOL He was a bugger!! And believe it or not the railroad always paid him.
Mom and dad, when they first moved into our little house didnt have indoor plumbing. Guess how they got it??? Yepper the railroad made it possible with the charges granddad got from the billing of damage. LOL Mom got indoor plumbing and she was elated back then. LOL I was 2 yrs old when this happened. Thanks granddad for giving me a real potty to potty train in. LOL
OK thats all for today. Hopefully I can get in another tonite or tomorrow.
Let it be known that my granddad always took a negative and turned it into a positive for the family.
A, B, and C A grade was for cigar, B was for chew and C was ground and processed for pipe. It was a great part of the season for us cause we mostly had grade A and got usually top dollar for our crop. We were allotted a large acreage from the government to raise.
My granddad had a contract with the government to raise hemp during the war. We raised lots of it from what I was told. It was raised and harvested to make rope for the warships and other things they needed. Until I left the farm we still had government inspectors come and check to make sure the hemp crops had been destroyed and none had been growing wild. Hemp seeds blow and start growing anywhere they land. So we burned lots of small little patches that would pop up here and there. Thats one of the downfalls of doing a contract with the government. LOL They always pop up unannounced.
Granddad was a stern old guy. You could never put anything over on him. We had L&N railroad that ran through our farm. In some ways it was good in some it was bad. We could buy cattle and have them delivered right to the farm. We had a cattle shute where we could recieve cattle right off the train. That was fun too, watching them flow off the cattle car right into the field.
But the railroad workers tend to make my granddad a little angry. We had huge stone walls that ran along the railroad at crossings on the farm. The workers (which were predominantly black at that time) would sit and eat their lunches or take their breaks on the stone fences. This angered my granddad being of that generation he said they looked like big black crows sitting on his walls. So he asked the railroad to advise the workers not to sit on the walls. They continued, so as soon as they were finished he had the work hands on our farm cement pointed stones on top of the walls. They never sat on them again.
I to this day can remember those guys swinging hemp hooks and maintaining the railroads.
During the times in late summer or fall the sparks of the trains would set the weeds along the railroad on fire. That was scarey. The horses would run and the fires would spread. Of course we didnt have hydrants that far out from town so thank goodness for the spring below the house. It saved many an acre during my childhood. Of course this was another way that my grandfather would get even. He would bill the railroad for the man power used and the damage and the fresh spring water he used from the spring. LOL He was a bugger!! And believe it or not the railroad always paid him.
Mom and dad, when they first moved into our little house didnt have indoor plumbing. Guess how they got it??? Yepper the railroad made it possible with the charges granddad got from the billing of damage. LOL Mom got indoor plumbing and she was elated back then. LOL I was 2 yrs old when this happened. Thanks granddad for giving me a real potty to potty train in. LOL
OK thats all for today. Hopefully I can get in another tonite or tomorrow.
Let it be known that my granddad always took a negative and turned it into a positive for the family.
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