Memories of my mother----She was a lot like Granny Clampett!

[LeslieDean]

My Mom----She was a lot like Granny Clampett

I've been feeling a little under the weather latlely-a mild sore throat and the beginnings of a fever blister. Times like this makes me miss my Mom. I guess we are never to old to miss our mothers. My mom was a wonderful mother except for the minor flaw that she thought she was a doctor. She believed she was licensed physician with a medical degree from the University of "I Think All Doctors are a Bunch of Quacks".

My Mom was a big fan of Home Remedies and she thought there was nothing a good old fashioned enema wouldn't cure. I'm not kidding. I remember when i was quite small taking a bath and wondering why there was always a pink bag with a white water hose attached to it hanging, at the ready, on the back of the shower door. I was her (guinea pig) last child at home and thus her last (victim) patient so I had to endure many different trials and errors. If you ever forgot and complained of a sore throat she would get out the kosher salt and a glass of hot water and make a salt water gargle that you had to do religiously every 2 hrs. If you were still complaining the next day you had to have your throat painted with a cotton wrapped tongue depressor soaked in methalaide. If you still had not learned to keep your mouth shut and your complaints to yourself you were put to bed with Vicks a vapor Rub and a hot compression on your chest. Along with this came a big spoonful of the Vicks Vapor Rub itself then plenty of water to wash it down. My mother prescribed to the line of reasoning that the level of pain was directly proportional to the level of cure. If it didn't hurt, it didn't heal. Back in the early days of My mothers medical residency, also known as my childhood I would cry and ask for the orange flavored baby ASA and the grape tasting cough syrup that my friends mothers would give them. No how, no way was she going to waste her money on candy flavored crap that was disguised as medicine and who's only purpose was to make money for pharmaceutical companies. She also seemed to be a fan of cod liver oil. Sometimes she would let me have a say in my medical care-castor oil or the trusted pink bag. Was that really a choice?

I guess her home treatments worked-by and large because I was usually very healthy. That, or I just learned to keep my mouth shut. But, I can't wait to see my Mom again. I'm going to greet her into the paradise with a little pink rubber bag and a big old grin from ear to ear! Here Mom, this is good for whatever ails ya!

I

[GrumpysWife]

Nice tribute to your mother, Leslie. Very sweet, just like you.

[feather]

sounds like a lady I'd like to meet. hope I get to

 

  lol @ the little pink bag...

 

    yeah what's up with older ones and their Top Ten uses for cod liver oil?? 

[LeslieDean]

She also had me drink a BOTTLE of castor oil mixed with root beer when I was 2 weeks overdue with my daughter! Then they took me over a extremely hilly road locally known as 'Doddie's Dumps' in an effort to make me go into labor! I was so stupid all I said was 'great! Let's hurry and go to the store and get it!" It did nothing for me,except give me major gas pains and nausea. Five days later I had Nicki. She was truly overdue. She had super long fingernails and the cheeses stuff that is suppose to be covering the baby was not there. She was a beauty!

[Julsey]

Whoa, Leslie!  We have to get your Mom and my Dad together, because he *did* go to medical school!  Imagine the arguments!<g>

 

Seriously, though, I can't wait for you to see her, too.  ;)

[GrumpysWife]

Leslie, I am seriously jealous over your memories of your mother. My mother in law would have loved your mother. They would have been best friends.

[Tazzy]

Love it Leslie! Haha!

Our moms must have been in the same school....

I too had to gargle with the salt water.

Sore throats and swollen glands were treated with hot wet towels (as hot as you could stand it) pressed against your throat and glands (switching to new hot towels as quick as possible so you didn't cool down in between). Then, a freezing cold wet sheet rag was wrapped around your throat covered by a cotton sock (safety pinned) around your neck. You had to sleep all night with it on and in the morning the rag sheeting would be dry - supposed to draw the poison out of your tonsils. I remember the shock of the cold rag and being terrified the safety pin would stab me during the night!

Also she made the most horrible cough syrup - boiled onions blended with lemon (?) I think - horrible stuff to swallow but you got a candy as a reward to kill the burn and taste!

Soaking our feet in hot mustard baths and then wearing warm socks to bed.

At least our moms really cared and put a lot of efforts into their cures!

Edited August 5, 2013 by Tazzy

[GrumpysWife]

At least our moms really cared and put a lot of efforts into their cures!

 

And that means so much when you are young. All young women (and men) should have mothers like this.

[MizPeg]

Leslie.... that cheesy stuff that covers a baby's skin, before birth, keeps their skin from being water-logged. It's medical term is " vernix".

Another thing showing Jehovah's wisdom! Can you imagine how wrinkled that infant would look w/o the vernix?  eewww!