Parakeets and Cardinals

Posted Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at 6:14 PM

Take note of the infamous outhouse just right of Granddad Henry in this picture.

A lot of you younger folks out there may find this hard to believe, but when I was young (and I was a long, long time ago) not everyone had a television. My great grandparents, Henry and Bessie Harrington, lived in a small two bedroom house in Bicknell and they never had a television. For that matter, my first recollection of visiting them reminds me that they didn't have an indoor toilet either. I remember that outhouse vividly, which set, quite appropriately, at the back end of their lot. That was quite a creepy commode for a little feller with all them spiders and who knows what else lurking in that dark abyss. I do remember now that you'd do well to clothespin your nose for the entire length of your visit. I tended to limit my outhouse sojourns to a minimum and kept them as brief as possible. Thank goodness this old age constipation wasn't a problem back in my younger days.

What in the world do you do without television? For one thing, they had these parakeets that Granddad Henry would occasionally release from their cage. They would frantically fly around the house landing here and there and diving at young kids half-scared out of their minds. (As a little kid, it was like a scene out of Hitchcock's The Birds, so you just ducked, covered your head and hoped they didn't attack you.) I was sure that one would peck my eye out and I'd have to wear a patch like a worn out old pirate for the remainder of my life. It is a wonder that I survived such aviary abuse and wasn't psychologically damaged forever. Sooner or later those crazy birds would land on Granddad Henry's finger or shoulder and he'd place them back into their cage and we'd all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Granddad would also sit out in the yard and feed the squirrels, which, as you can imagine, was enormously entertaining for 5 and 6 year old kids. Some of them would come right up on his lap and eat whatever it was he was feeding them. Now that I think back on it, my guess is it was something nutty.

Granddad Henry was as strong as an ox and a very quiet individual. For some reason, I just always felt like I learned something whenever I spent time with him. I never did learn how to feed squirrels on my lap though and as I think back on it, that may have been a blessing. I am lucky now to have a splendid 5 generation picture that we took before he passed away, which ran from Matt to his Great Great Granddad Henry.

Granny Bessie would often sit in the living room and listen to KMOX on the radio so she could keep up with her St. Louis Cardinals. She was quite the fan of Ken Boyer and Bob Gibson. I have fond memories of sitting on the floor listening too, as Jack Buck and Harry Caray brought the play-by-play through the airwaves to Granny Bessie in Bicknell, Indiana. I seriously doubt that there are too many people who just sit and listen to baseball on the radio anymore.

These great grandparents were wonderful people from quite a different generation. My memories of them are really so much more than what I have written here and it is fun to think back to those times. I remember attending their 65th wedding anniversary the summer I left for college. From my matrimonial historical perspective, I'd have to say, that is quite an accomplishment in itself.

Jack Buck, Harry Caray, as well as, Henry and Bessie are all gone now, but this weekend I will drink a toast to all of them with Matt, Rusty and Davey in St. Louis, as we watch Granny Bessie's Redbirds whip up on the lowly, not "Barry" good San Francisco Giants. If you get the chance to watch, we will be sitting in the Coca-Cola Patio, almost directly beyond the centerfield fence. I'll be the crazy one out there who's just a whoopin' and a hollerin' for the Cards.

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I remember seeing Granddad Henry (Granddad Slow-poke was what Grannie Bessie told us to call him) do one arm push-ups when I was probably about 6 or 7 years old, which made him about 73 at the time. I also remember hearing him talk about making $1.30 a day as a steam locomotive fireman working a 10 hour day...think about that... 13 cents an hour stoking a blazing hot firebox.

-- Posted by Chris&Jeremy'sDad on Tue, Apr 15, 2008, at 8:51 PM

I love these stories.

I am blessed by only haveing to visit the Outhouse while at church and at one grandparents house -- if the inside one was busy--- oh its still usable: spiderwebs, ants, wasps and all.

Oh by the way--- I am Listening to Mike Shannon on the radio as we type. :)

-- Posted by silerCityDude on Tue, Apr 15, 2008, at 10:11 PM

There is still a functioning outhouse behind my Mamaw's house. I'll make use of it during the summer when I visit the campground they have set up nearby. I never had the experience as a youngster so it gives me some idea of what it was like doing your business during yesteryear.

-- Posted by EggMan on Wed, Apr 16, 2008, at 8:49 AM

one of my fathers family memebers we dont know who made the statement in the 1950's that as a nation we are getting all screwed up .... our bathrooms are coming inside and our food's getting cooked outside (charcoal grilling) and he was going to buck it all he could!

NOW I am sure old' simmons had not intended for this blog to go this way.

I myself liked the Cardinals part of it. But then again I only heard Harry and Jack do one game that I can rember-- Harry's last as a Cardinal anouncer sadly.

-- Posted by silerCityDude on Wed, Apr 16, 2008, at 9:27 PM

I have never written any of these with any intentions on how they should go. I just write on what comes to my mind at the time. Whichever way it goes, is entirely up to the bloggers. I've enjoyed all of the comments.

Harry's last game in St. Louis was in '68 Dude, are you old enough to have heard that one?

Did they actually have "show and tell" back when you were in school Terry? I didn't think that came along until after one-room schoolhouses. Did you know Tom got the other knee done? He called the other night asking about Bert Shepard. Just curious when the other Royal brother is returning from New Mexico or is he frozen in place?

-- Posted by simmons on Thu, Apr 17, 2008, at 3:47 AM

...and I'll be the one next to you wearing my bright orange giants visor, rooting for my incredibly BAD favorite baseball team. These last few years I really am starting to relate to my Cubs fan friends angst. It will make the victories taste even sweeter if and when they ever happen.

A weekend of baseball with my dad, and two of my best friends, what more could I ask for. Four huge baseball fans converging on what I consider to be the best baseball city in America, perfect.

The Stan 'The Man' Musial statue, the World Series banners, 40,000 smart baseball fans, a cold beer, and a hot dog. Throw in some clydesdales and a caliope organ and it sounds a bit like heaven to me. I cant wait. Play Ball!

-- Posted by midnightrambler on Fri, Apr 18, 2008, at 12:56 AM

I'm wondering now if that old outhouse stood up to the earthquake this morning. I had just rolled out of bed this morning and had entered the inhouse facilities at my place when the room started shaking. Never one to be shaken by a little tremor my aim was true.

These tremors were common occurrences in Alaska years ago, but it was the first noticeable one that I experienced in Indiana.

I've always said that there's nothing like some good old Rock and Roll to start the day.

-- Posted by simmons on Fri, Apr 18, 2008, at 6:43 AM

That was a great story, thank you for sharing that...

-- Posted by Tralamala on Fri, Apr 18, 2008, at 9:17 AM

Hilarious. Someone hand Simmons that New England Beer Rifle now.

I only remember about two of them well. One was a 5-something, and the other was great big. That one rolled me out of the bunk. The way I recall it was that we had some guys out on the radars and at least one went off with resulting broken arm. After that I recall seeing the fences in place on the radars when the guys were out.

I think most of the old people were tough, that's how they got to be so old. I can remember Great Grandma running to cross five lanes of traffic with me when she was in her 70's. She was a Hoosier. Great Grandpa found her over there somewhere and brought her home. She always had a television, but she never drove. We have one of those five generation photos thanks to her.

-- Posted by M Boyd on Sat, Apr 19, 2008, at 6:39 AM

I guess you were too young to remember Grandad Henry (Slowpoke) coming home from work around midnight and sitting in his big rocker to take off his shoes and socks. He would then go into their "Bathroom" which they made on the end of the back porch and wash his socks. After that he returned to his chair and drank his 1 beer and ate either orange slices and peanuts or a piece of fudge before going to bed.

Good remembrances!!

Florida Mom

-- Posted by JoniBl on Sat, Apr 19, 2008, at 3:05 PM

Gee I see my replay missed the boat.

Yes I remeber '68 that spring dad got a new pickup, mom got a remodeling job, there was an earthquake... dad got a new combine, grampa got a new tractor... :)

I rember waking up to the radio news the morning Harry was in the accident that sent him packing from St. Louis ...

-- Posted by silerCityDude on Sat, Apr 19, 2008, at 11:02 PM

Hope your St. Louis trip was better for you than it was for the Redbirds. The Giants might pay to have you watch more of their games.

My losing ways continued on Saturday with 18 holes against your favorite nephew, 74-83.

-- Posted by Chris&Jeremy'sDad on Sun, Apr 20, 2008, at 9:48 PM

C&J's Dad-

You're just picking the wrong members of our family to face ;)

-- Posted by virginia is for lovers on Mon, Apr 21, 2008, at 2:13 PM

VA4Lovers, you're right, but I'm running out of options. I understand Matt is taking his game a lot more seriously and Chris beats me about half the time. Need to play Jody and Sheila, I guess. How's your game?

-- Posted by Chris&Jeremy'sDad on Mon, Apr 21, 2008, at 9:24 PM

Let's just say, that I'm not exactly sure where my golf clubs are.

-- Posted by virginia is for lovers on Tue, Apr 22, 2008, at 7:50 AM

Constructive and Imaginary Ambiguity

Keith Sims

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