LOST ARTS

In one past post I mentioned whittling, When I was a small girl, that was something lots of men and boys did. In Sheridan you could walk down the street , adn sitting outside a local store, was a bench, You could always see men there with their knives whittling on a piece of wood., I am not sure if they made an item, like a toy or car or just whittled for the sake of having something to do.
My Grandpa always made us whistles or flutes by carving out a piece of cane. It had to be just the right size, and strong enough to endure carving.
My dad would make them for us too. But we found more cane growing in the river bottoms so we had an endless supply.
I could spend an entire weekend just playing my flute or whistle. All of us got one and over timy my brothers learned how to make these whistles.
Brooms, was another home made item my grandma had. Grandpa would find a certain kind of weed, stong nad not easily breakable, like straw. He would bind it together, and tie it off with a heavy line. Then he would place it on a stick, a(small limb he had whittled the bark off off). Then Grandma would have a broom. I guess that is why I loved to sweep her floors, that and the fact that they were dusty, or should I say dirty.
Grandma had a neat toothbrush too, Mama said that is what they used growing up. It was a stick that was very fiberous, They would seperate the fibers and make them look like a brush, not one as you see toothbruses today. But it definitely scrubbed the teeth. Their toothpaste was baking soda, if they had any soda and sometime just anthing to get the teeth clean and breath fresh.
Medicine consisted of homemade poltice, (spelling), Colds were treated with hot mustard wraps, sick stomach with peppermint leaves, Vicks salve in the blue jar was also a staple in our home. I remember Mama mixing up something that smelled so awful then putting it in a hot cloth nad putting it on my chest. You got well really fast so you did not have to smell the potion. But mostly I recall the wonderful smell of vicks salve. We would put it under our noses if we became stuffed up, It went on our chest every night if we had a cold. Mama had a huge jar on hand all time.
Black Draught, I am not sure what that was used for, but it smelled so weird. Onguinetine, for burns, It too was a salve.
I guess the worse I ever had was a medicine for sTrep throat. It tasted horrible. Harold and I both had strep at the same time. Mama would bring in the bottle and a spoon. One day we were standing by the big wood heater, in the living room. Mama gave Harold his does first, He spewed it across the stove right into my face and on my clothes, It was that horrible tasting. Mama made him take another dose. This time sitting down. Me, well you all know me it was a fight to make me take anthing like that. So I had to sit, Mama would put it in my mouth hold me and blow in my face to make me take a deep breath and swollow. Awful awful stuff.
Then of course there are your other grandmas potions.
Dad will tell you about them.