Now I am curious when and how did the hanky come about? I do know women carried them long ago too. Mrs, Feig was my 6th grade teacher and she always had one tucked up her sweater or blouse sleeve. It would gag me watching her wipe her nose or mouth and then put it back up her sleeve. Remember I have a very weak stomach and that was a very weak moment for me. When I saw her reaching for her handkerchief as ladies called them I immediately looked away knowing where it would end up for it's next use. Blahhh Ladies handkerchiefs were very fancy way back when, lovely lace edging or embroidery on them, thin and not very big. Maybe so they would fit up their sleeve! I never acquired the need to carry one, I like disposable ones.
You may wonder how I got on the subject of hankies. It came about on our last trip to MD to see our grandchildren. The little 5 yr old had a runny nose and he hates to blow it, his excuse, it makes his eyes water. We would say, go get a Kleenex......he would look at us like we were from outer space. Finally he said, what is a Kleenex? I went and got him a couple and he said, those are tissues! It's all in the presentation. They call them tissues and we say Kleenex. When we bought them years ago it was about the only brand so of course they were Kleenex. In an emergency Dick pulled out his hanky and Cash was completely taken away with that wide eyed look. He asked, what is that? So Dick proceeded to tell him it is his hanky and then the questions kept coming. Why do you carry it and do you throw it away. In the end Cash decided he wants hankies to carry. I think it sounds much easier to pull it out of your pocket than be told to go get a tissue/Kleenex. So, that is how I started thinking of hankies. As always it doesn't take much for my mind to wander to the most unexpected subjects.
One thing for sure, hankies/handkerchiefs have been a life saver for many. They are used for happiness, sadness or to wipe sweat from the head. Everyone of our grandkids have had the hanky used on them at least once in their lifetime and much more probably for some. What ever causes that tear to fall usually ends with a hanky being offered (at least in our family) throughout the years. They have carried us through and always appreciated but never acknowledged for their greatness.
Of course I had to google handkerchief history and found several interesting articles dating the hanky all the way back to the Ming Dynasty and documentation all the way up to our time. At some point in time hankies meant wealth and royalty but the one documentation that awed me with a smile is what they meant to our our military. Many handkerchiefs were imprinted with maps of the countryside where bombing missions were carried out. Should these young men have the misfortune to be shot down, they literally held an escape map in their hands. Hundreds of hankies were printed during both WWI & WWII for soldiers to carry and/or give as mementos. Our military intelligence always amazes me. We are protected by the finest, God Bless them.
Today turned into a wintery, blustery day. Just what I like, if it's going to be winter then let it snow. Friday is usually Icelandic Haddock or Shrimp at our house. It is hard to find seafood products from the USA but there is a little store across from the Charles Cole Hospital that prides itself in just that! The shrimp from the Texas Bay and the Icelandic Haddock from Canada which is close to the USA. I refuse to buy food from China, Thailand or other Asian countries. The next time you buy garlic powder check where it is from, most brands including McCormick are from China. Walmart sells a brand from Texas and that little store across from the hospital has it from the USA too.
Ok back to supper, it was haddock tonight with steamed broccoli and seasoned rice on the side. I always rinse the fish and pat it dry, leave it between paper towels for about 30 minutes to get all the moisture out. Flour seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, old bay and a little garlic powder is what I roll the fish in, then dip it in buttermilk and then back into the flour. Fry until golden brown in what ever oil you like, I prefer lard, solid Crisco(only if desperate) or grape seed oil.. Canola oil and the others leave fried foods too greasy for me. After fried lay the fish on paper towels on a rack until all of the fish is fried. The rack keeps air flow under the fried fish, if you drain it on a solid surface the bottom of the fish or what ever you fried tends to develop moisture that takes away the crunch and makes it soggy. A little tip for crunchy fried foods.
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| Homemade tartar sauce, mayonnaise, horseradish and chopped sweet pickles canned last summer. |
