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Comments:
tom - 2005-01-31 13:01:34 Seems to have been. I was a bit startled at the ubiquity of booze in the early settlers' lives. Kegs of whiskey sitting around, a little pre-breakfast swig--whew. And they said the pre-breakfast swig was "passed around" [the table, I presume], so that means wee Junior got a snootful too.* * * * * * * * * * * * Dan Arbor - 2005-02-01 09:44:03 At that time, alcohol was popularly thought to have beneficial and curative effects along with the intoxication. Different times. Heck, even Winston Churchill extolled the virtues of a bracing, early-morning scot's whisky after his bath. Or maybe they just liked to party... * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-01 09:45:48That is a good point, that alcohol was thought to have curative powers. You are right--people seem to have regarded it a bit differently then. I never knew Churchill said that. Interesting.* * * * * * * * * * * * Michael McC. - 2005-02-01 11:15:56 People worked a lot harder in those days, at least physically. And it was a lot colder in most buildings. I think a little nip would have been in order for lots of folks, after mucking out the barn at 5:00 AM. Would have gone great with that pork chop breakfast with eggs and potatoes.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-01 11:21:09 Those are good points, Michael. Seems to me you're right on both counts. Had I mucked out stalls this a.m. (even letting the dog out was a bit chilly) and returned to a non-centrally-heated house, I probably wouldn't say no to a warming agent, either. * * * * * * * * * * * * Michael McC. - 2005-02-01 11:29:17 I've had to talk to myself lately in order to avoid a wee dram of the Creature after work. Bit brisk, it's been.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-01 11:31:13 Brisk indeed, but getting better; last night going home was the first time this year there's been any light in the sky instead of pitch blackness.* * * * * * * * * * * * Michael McC. - 2005-02-01 14:41:33 I can never understand why it gets colder while the days get longer. I've had the demo with the ball, too, but it never made any sense intuitively.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-01 14:44:20 I know what you mean. It seems totally counterintuitive. The way I think of it is that there's a huge season/temp-lag time caused by the lingering coldness of the frozen Earth. Or something. Anyways, I can tell the days are longer, and that's already perked up my mood. It's the first vague vestiges of spring.* * * * * * * * * * * * LF - 2005-02-01 18:33:23 It's my understanding that Winston Churchill's consumption of alcohol rivalled WC Field's in quantity. I assume the stress of enduring incessant bombing while trying to plot a course to victory over the Nazis had something to do with it,* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-01 18:37:35 Interesting. His is one biography I've never yet read--I should dig one up at the Cross Street bookshop.* * * * * * * * * * * * raymond - 2005-02-02 10:57:48 Which one, Churchill or Fields?* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-02 11:05:20 Fields had an interesting life, too, and I'd like to read about him as well, particularly from the history-of-vaudeville angle (I'm fascinated by early vaudeville)...but I was thinking of Churchill.* * * * * * * * * * * * Michael McC. - 2005-02-02 14:24:03 Field's makes for more enjoyable reading. Did you know he was an expert juggler? Once he showed someone how to juggle with cigar boxes and paring knives, confident that with time the person would "cut themselves quite badly". * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-02 14:25:25 He actually wished them to get hurt?* * * * * * * * * * * * add your comment: |