The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill. Thanksgiving is upon us this Thursday and we have much to be thankful fer. Each and everyone has their own blessings to be grateful fer and fer beginners this, "Great Country of Ours" stands strong inspite of what some might say.
Standing Guard
I'm include'n this awesome picture of, "Our symbol standing guard". It was taken at the National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota on an early morning. Ya see it as it appeared in the Minneapolis Star/Tribune. I'm include'n it in this column-what do you think of it?
Deer Hunt'n
The first deer hunt'n season took place this past weekend and it seems quite a few deer were bagged here and there. Them deer are like Middle East terrorists, especially dure'n the rutt'n season.
They wait alongside the road fer an unsuspect'n motorist ta come along and at just the right moment either dart out in front of the vehicle or slam into it's side. Often it's a doe with a buck follow'n close behind.
They are will'n, it seems, ta sacrifice their own lives ta accomplish their purpose of spoil'n your day and damage'n your car.
Bring'n Home a Trophy
Well, we train em young here abouts in western Illinois. Catch this picture with the young feller drive'n a $60 toy car, with a $10 tow rope a pull'n a $150 deer target he has captured and "bring'n it home proud as a peacock".
Butcher Day
Last weeks column I wrote about things our ancestors ate. How many folk remembers a way back when we waited fer a "cold northerner" ta blow in ta butcher a hog.
A big fat hog would be sorted out fer the kill. Some would use a .22 rifle shot ta the head, some a blow to the head with an ax, and others just slit the animals throat.
Many a folk collected the hog's blood ta make blood wurst or blood sausage. The body was attached ta a single tree, hung under a tree, and scalded with hot water brought to a rolling boil in a cast iron kettle. This made it easier to scrape off the hogs bristle and washed off the accumulated pig grime.
The hogs innards were removed and turned over to the women folk fer clean'n. Those yards of intestines were washed repeatedly on the inside by dipp'n water in one end of the intestine and then pull'n the intestine betwixt a finger and blunt edge knife. They were then used as casing fer smoked or dried pure pork sausage.
Fat was trimmed and cut into chunks fer cook'n or render'in into lard. Who can beat pie crust made with lard?
The hams and back meat were cut into just the right sizes and seasoned fer ham and bacon and the trimmin's run through a hand-cranked grinder fer the sausage stuffin's.
The ground sausage was stuffed into the clean intestines with a hand cranked stuffer, tied into links and placed in the family smoke house fer weeks, along with seasoned hams and bacons which hung on sticks from the rafters.
Some of the ham and bacon could grow a beard of mold by next spring and summer. Most of the mold was trimmed off before eat'in with eggs, corn bread and homemade sorghum molasses.
Pieces of fresh pork sausage were fried and preserved in sealed quart jars of fresh lard, a wait'n ta be made into a scrumptious meat sandwich.
Pull'n a piece of sausage out of a jar, ya wiped off the lard, sliced it onto a piece of homemade bread, yet warm from the oven, and covered it with homemade ketchup.
See what you young "whipper snappers" are a miss'n out on today, mostly as a result of the invention of refrigeration, once electricity made it ta the farm.
It can be supposed cardiologists, nutritionists, dietitians, and hygienists could churn out tons of books and pamphlets today a tell'n that we could not, cannot, and would not live off of a diet with all that fat, especially if'n it were eat'n on a regular basis.
Process'n the animal under a tree and preserve'n it in an old dirt floor smoke house, with all its bugs and rodents would not pass today's government inspectors. None were used fer farm folk back in them old'n days.
There is many a folk in their 80's and 90's today who grew up on diets like these. Maybe it was they survived on all that fat and cholesterol by work'n physically hard, day in and day out, on a daily basis. The "old say'n" used to be oft heard, "Hard work never hurt nobody".
I reckon review'n this process gives a feller a hanker'n fer fresh pork, least with sauerkraut, potatoes, noodles, and homemade bread and real butter - topped off with a large piece of homemade pie with crust made of lard and capped with two large scoops of homemade ice cream.
After Thanksgive'n and the turkey meal has settled fer a spell, I'm a gonna ask the misses to fix me up such a meal and invite in several neighbors ta enjoy the feast.
I'm a hope'n ya enjoyed this recap of history of the old days particularly through the eyes of Bill Neinast a retired colonel and U.S. Army attorney with the help of the Brenham Banner Press.
It reminded me so much of earlier days, I thought it would go well with last weeks column and the Thanksgiving season.
Hope'n ta see ya in church this week. Wherever ya is, what ever ya be a do'n BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke
Standing Guard
Bring'n Home a Trophy