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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

THE GOOD OLE DAYS

My Mr. Coffee machine just up and QUIT me yesterday morning..
 I got up this morning thinking about that over-the-hill son of a gun coffee maker 
and was all prepared to have hot TEA instead of my usual and MOST DESIRED 
cup of DUNKIN DONUTS coffee.
 THEN I remembered my CORNING WARE coffee pots...
and out came the largest one...
filled it with water,
added coffee to that little basket...
and set it on the burner.
Medium heat...didn't want it boiling and spilling out all over my stove top.
 Oh gosh...it made a GRRRREAT cup of coffee.
 People often wish for the *good ole days*..
I'm not so sure about that...
I remember having to *watch* my percolator do it's thing
instead of being able to put my Mr. Coffee on
and do other things while it was making.
I LIKE THE MR. COFFEE THE BEST.
 I remember, in the *good ole days* having to go the OUTHOUSE
and I SURE didn't like THAT !!!!
Once, on the only farm I ever lived on and that was for only 3 months,
our ONE cow loved Mom and I and every time I went to the outhouse,
she would lean her MASSIVE self up against the door and I couldn't get out.
I stood there, screaming for my daddy until he heard me, lead the cow
away and I ran for the house like the devil himself was after me.
 On this little plot of land called A FARM,
there grew a BLACKBERRY PATCH not too far from
THE HOUSE THAT HAD NO BATHROOM..
My mom, little brother and I would go over for fresh blackberries every few days..
'and the thorns would just grab us and claw us and, seemed to me, come alive,
guarding those little tasty berries.
 THIS farm I am speaking of...in SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS.
The summer before I started high school (with kids I had gone to school with for years and years)
my dad decided we needed to move to Arkansas and buy a farm...
and we did...
and I lay on the bed, squalling my eyes out...
and Mom SIT on my bed, squalling HER eyes out...
and my little 6 yr. old brother ran around saying, "Someone take me to the outhouse..that COW is out there."
I never eat a blackberry that I don't conjure up this picture in my mind
of me, riding on the back of a cow with blackberry thorns hanging off both of us and
my little brother hollering, "I need to pee......"
So when I hear folks talking about *the good ole days",
I think how I would
rather have an electric coffee pot....
rather buy my blackberries at the store...
rather have an INDOOR bath room ...
and...never...NEVER HAVE A COW  !!!
Sure hope YOUR day is filled with berries and Strawberry Almond cake...
and many MANY smiles.
♥♥♥
Linking with
VINTAGE THINGY THURSDAY
FULL PLATE THURSDAY
OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY
TIME TRAVEL THURSDAY
I hope you will go see these fun ladies and their memes...
blessings, hugs and kisses, 

41 comments:

Trisha said...

BJ you have such a cute and light hearted blog. Glad I found it. My husband and I can relate to it very well, growing up in the Southern part of Kentucky, we didn't know we were poor, because most of the neighbors were in the same shape. Blessings to you. I know I will enjoy your blog.
Trisha

Lynn said...

I love it! Thanks for the great laugh BJ, "I gotta pee and that cow's out there"!!! I'm with you, I do like my modern conveniences:@)

NanaDiana said...

Oh- I can so relate to that! My Bunn coffee maker went out last year and MyHero went out and bought the Consumer Reports recommended buy. Now, mind you, it does make good coffee BUT it is slower than a kid slogging through quicksand! The old Bunn I used to pour the water in and the coffee would run out the bottom as fast I poured the water into the tank. This one...uh...is it ready YET??? NOPE! NOT YET! Maybe I should take my shower while I'm waiting? Good idea! I can't wait for this stinking thing to go bad-so I can get back to my Bunn!

Love the out house story...and the cow with a sense of humor.

I like my blackberries from the market and my coffee from Starbucks..I am spoiled..and hope to stay that way! xo Diana

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Cute, cute post. I remember the out house too, and yes the percolator also. Only problem is I still don't have one, so if the coffee pot dies, then I am in trouble. Hugs, Marty

Kathleen Grace said...

Lol! that is the best example of how the good ol' days weren't as good as now that I have ever heard!

Rosie Goins said...

I was just thinking about percolated coffee this week. There is nothing better especially when you are camping. At the risk of aging myself, I remember outhouses. The country grammar school had one.

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

I remember my mother perkolating coffee. I love the sound. But you are right...the good ole days are wonderful in pictures...but I love my microwave..Keurig, and electric curling iron!!

Anonymous said...

you made laugh so hard,, I needed to laugh,, so funny,, this was the best post I read all day,, just perfect,

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

Beeej,
I spend alot of weekends on my Grandparent's farm. I used that old outhouse many times. I didnot like walking through the chicken yard, tho. They would peck my ankles!!! Big sad face :(
xoxo

Robin@DecoratingTennisGirl said...

p.s. Mom had a corning ware coffee pot, too. She would get it out for the gals, when it was her turn for "club." aka Young Woman's Club.

Blondie's Journal said...

Oh...this post made me laugh and laugh! You do have a way with story telling, BJ! My mom had the same coffee pot and all the matching casserole dishes and whatnot! Great memories, no cows!

XO,
Jane

Tire Swing Mom said...

My mom and sister both had those corning ware pots. Oh, my! What memories! Thanks!

FABBY'S LIVING said...

Oh wow! My mom still has one, but doesn't use it...maybe I'll ask her to give it to me for fun! You made me laugh and that's always good! Maybe the ole days were not that great either!...hahahaaa...I adore my modern conveniences for the home, we agree, BJ and hey, we wouldn't be blogging!!!. Thanks for sharing. Lots of hugs. FABBY

Beth said...

What a fun post, BJ! Trisha is right; your blog is cute and light-hearted and humorous and touching and the photos are (always) fabulous. I always enjoy visiting Sweet Nothings!
Blessings, Beth
p.s. You always serve the BEST food too!

Kathy said...

I love this post! And I love your coffee mug!! It's adorable. I know what you mean about having to watch the coffee pot on the stove. I remember those days all too well. Of course, I can't relate to being locked in an outhouse by a cow. LOL. I've always lived where there was indoor plumbing. But what a heartwarming memory.

Donna@Conghaile Cottage said...

I'm a HUGE FAN of indoor plumbing! I have my memories of outhouses during vacations in Canada. AND I do know those cows, We lived on farmland when my boys were growing up and the herd would sometimes end up in my front yard with my boys STUCK in the house saying "They could NOT get to the bus stop through them". If I opened the front door the Big Buggers would charge and try to come in. We also had a neighbor with BUFFALO and they did the same thing... It's fun to look back on it, thank you for the memories, hehe! I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the Good Ol' perked coffee! "My Mr Coffee DIED yesterday too". It just leaked all over my counter and sat there looking SO INNOCENT! Walmart ACTUALLY exchanged it for a new one because I hadn't had it that long!!! SAVE THOSE BOXES!
Have a wonderful week,
Big Hugs,
Donna

On Crooked Creek said...

BJ,
How cute!!! We are spoiled with our coffee pot, too! A few years ago, the electricity went off due to an ice storm. My son called and asked, "MoM...what can I bring you on my way to work?" I asked him to stop @ Quik TRip and buy me the largest coffee cup full of coffee he could buy. He did! I put the coffee in the thermos and had hot coffee unil the electricity came back on!Isn't he the BEST???
Fondly,
Pat

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Bj, You had me giggling about the cow. I am extremely claustrophobic and I can't imagine having a cow barricading the door. I would freak if I couldn't get out! I definitely like all my modern conveniences...especially the dishwaser. Thanks for joining my party this week.
xo,
Sherry

Vee said...

Hahhahahahaha...chuckling and grinning all over here. What a fun post! Love the dialogue!

Dixie said...

BJ.. your posts always make me :) smile...

hugs. Dixie

ps... and it was a cold walk down that path to the outhouse on a winters night in the snow... my memory... Blytheville, Arkansas...

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

It's always nice to have a good old time percolator around just in case. Although I have let one or two boil over through the years.:-)

Judi said...

Hi BJ *hugs*
First off I love your header..sweetr flowers in jars.

I loved your post and the story you told. I had to chuckle thinking about that cow..*s*..and your poor brother and you have to be escorted to the outhouse...and the wonderful memories blackberries give you.

Well I hope you get a new Mr. Coffee maker...
have a wonderful week.
Judi

Pondside said...

So - when is your book coming out?
I loved this post -from coffee to outhouse to cow to blackberries - and we follow along happily!

April D said...

You made me laugh! My mom still has her blue and white Corning percolator, stored away for "emergencies". My mother-in-law loves to tell my kids fun stories about the outhouse! :)
Happy Thursday!

Rose Petal Hollow said...

I love what you wrote....made me giggle~
MaryAnn

LV said...

I have a coffee pot that goes way back past these you are using. I keep it, but never use it. It belonged to my mother. It is one that perks over the burner.

Love Of Quilts said...

BJ I am in 100% agreement with you. I never want to have to go outside to use the outhouse again. Trish

www.thewhitefarmhouse2.blogspot.com said...

Oh you funny lady you! First thing I thought of when I saw that coffee pot was where the heck did she get my mom's pot from? It's funny but me and my sister keep on buying anything that was like what my mom had. I do like to pee indoors. Last time I peed outside was when I was in the army. It was night maneuvers. I thought I could just sneak a bit off the path and pee since it was as dark as the ace of spades that night. Just got my drawers dropped and into position when an overhead flare went off and I found myself in the middle of a field surrounded by guys! I feel for ya with the cow though. They are not real threatened by someone they have locked in an outhouse! Thanks for the laugh!

B said...

I love your blog so much! I don't have a blog myself - I'm not too smart on computers - not a good photographer, writer. Your's is my daily story. Keep up the wonderful work! B

Salmagundi said...

I have 'not so fond' memories of the outhouse, too. Our little 3-room house didn't have indoor plumbing; but I soon discovered that if I would run another 100 feet beyond the outhouse, I could be at Grandma's and she HAD an indoor bathroom. Thank goodness, she never locked her door. Sally

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Precious memories!

Especially the cow-and-the-out-house one!

:-)

~♥~

Rita said...

That was great reading about the good ol days. I was there too and I agree these days are so much easier.
Fun read that I needed this morning; thanks for the smile Bj.
Rita

Annie said...

I'm wiping away my tears of laughter! What a funny post! Thanks!

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hello my Texas friend...

Ohhh my...what a delightful post you have created for us today, Darlin'! I really did "get a visual" as I read your words! Hehehehe! Well...I have to agree...there are somethings about the good ol' days that weren't so great (although I must admit that I never lived anywhere without indoor potties...hehe!) You know, I used to have a Corning Ware coffee pot just like that! I bet anyone who loved coffee in the 70's had one also! Thanks so much for sharing the good ol' days with us today, dear friend! What a hoot!

Love ya,
Chari

Visits With Mary said...

Once upon a time I had a corning coffee pot, to my dismay I don't even remember what happened to it..Soooo, I just enjoyed looking at yours!

La said...

I hear ya! My dad was just telling me the other day about how he and my g-pa used to go blackberry picking....until he came across a snake. That was the end of his berry picking days.

Your cake looks yummy.

Carole Burant said...

LOL, oh BJ, now I'm crying from laughing so much, can just picture you in the outhouse with that cow leaning against the door! hehe Too funny!! Growing up, my mom had that exact same Corning Ware coffee pot and I remember standing at the stove watching the coffee percolate in the see through part at the top of the lid:-)

I've always wondered why we so often would love to go back to the "good ol' days" and "simpler times"...there was nothing simple about having to make and do everything by hand!!! lol xoxo

Barbara Jean said...

Yummy post!!!
Love that little mug. =)

blessings
barbara jean

Janet said...

I just found your sweet blog! Just love it and all your sweet stories, too!
Blessings,
Janet

Diann said...

LOL BJ! What a fun post girl! Although I didn't grow up with an outhouse at home, we did have one at our cabin for about the first 12 years of my life. It was right at the edge of the swamp. One summer a large bear came storming out of that swamp and almost ran right into my grandpa coming out of the outhouse!

Miz Helen said...

Hi BJ,
This morning when I go to the blackberry patch to pick berries I will be going with a smile on my face and I hope I don't get laughing so much I have to look for the outhouse. You are awesome and I am almost sure we have to be distant cousins. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!
Miz Helen