When I talk
to groups about early farming activities, I've learned to be careful and share
the meaning of the some of the words I use.
For instance, I was talking to some young people about farming with
horses and mentioned hitching a horse to “singletree.” An alert young fellow asked, “Did you only
have one tree on your farm, and why did you hitch a horse to it? (A singletree,
also known as a whiffletree, is a wooden device to which the harness tugs are
attached.)
I also talk
about a walking plow, and again, some kids believe the plow is walking when in
reality the walking is done by a team of horses and the plowman, who holds onto
the plow’s handles, trying to keep the plow in the ground.
The
confusion over the meaning of words extends beyond farming. A little girl was on her way to visit her
grandfather in the hospital. When they
arrived at the hospital she entered the room before her grandmother, and walked
up to her grandfather, looked at him and asked, “Can you make a sound like a frog?”
“Why should
I do that?” answered her grandfather.
“Because Grandma
said that when you croak we’re going to Disney World.”
The little girl obviously did not know that “croak” had more than one meaning.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Sometimes the words we use can be confusing.
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
October 17, 7:00 p.m. Park Falls Library, Park Falls. Limping
Through Life.
October 20, Noon. Rib River Ballroom, Marathon City.
German-American Group. Limping Through Life.
October 22, 3:00 p.m. Brillion Library. Limping Through Life
October 23, 2:45-3:30, Wisconsin Library Association, Green Bay.
Letters from Hillside Farm
October 26, 10:00-2:00 Grafton Book Festival, Liberty Memorial
Library, Grafton. Limping Through Life.
November 2, 9:00-4:00 The Clearing, Door County. Writing From
Your Life Workshop
November 2, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Book signing. The Clearing, Door County.
November 6, 3:30 UW PLATO group, Oakwood West, Madison. Quiet Season.
November 7, 7:00 p.m. Baraboo Public Library. Ringlingville
U.S.A.
November 9, 9:30, Sheboygan County Research Center, Plymouth,
Limping Through Life.
November 10: 3:30 p.m. Books and Company bookstore, Oconomowoc,
The Quiet Season.
FOR
THOSE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING “A FARM STORY WITH JERRY APPS” DVD
DVD Jerry Apps: A Farm Story List $16.95 The Patterson’s price only $15.00 ($20.00 shipped)
Special Bundle Offer exclusively by the Patterson:
Tamarack River Ghost & Jerry Apps: A Farm Story – List $43.90
The Patterson’s Price Only $35.00 ($43.00 shipped)
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St. PO Box 305
Wild Rose, WI 54984
(All items are sold by the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library. They will accept checks or cash, they’re sorry but they don’t have any way to accept credit or debit cards, checks should be made out to the Friends of Patterson Memorial Library.
1 comment:
I just finished your book, Jerry, "Limping Through Life." I am glad someone has written this history down, of what life was like, and the fear of the communities, with polio. I missed this part of Wisconsin, being born in the early 60's, but you had me placed right there... feeling everything, and reminding me of this part of history. I have read parts of your book to my children, and they were riveted, also. Thank you, it's important for people to see what we've overcome, and what life was like, before the Salk vaccine. Frightening, yet, triumph, in your wonderful, blessed case.
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