When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
Posts
Disabled People Gamble Or toot, Toot, oops
-
I was struck by how the writer of this article couldn't get what he wanted
from his headline: "Disabled People Used Access-A-Ride To Get To Casinos."
To me...
18 hours ago
12 comments:
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
When I was a little girl my mom had some orange-brown goop in a white plastic jar. It had a smell like nothing I can compare it to. When I had a splinter, the goop went on and next day splinter was out. Mom used it for other things and it seemed to be precious. In fact, when I left Indiana in 1979, that jar was still in Mom's house. (I was 22 when I left.)
In later years I wanted some of that goop and even thought, hey! I could make a million manufacturing/selling it. Mom told the story of one day her Pop went on his usual morning farm duties, but by dark, only his horse returned.
Grandpa had accidentally swung his ax across his lower leg, ripping off a chunk. He shouted for my mom, a small girl herself, at the time, and Mom ran out to limping "Pop" with "the salve."
He had her slather the hole in his leg with it and within a few days his leg was fine. Ka-Ching!
When I tried getting the recipe, I ran into resistance. Homer (My mom's brother---Pop was dead.) didn't seem anxious to give up the secret ingredient. After many years of asking for it, Aunt Vi finally made Homer write it down. I was sent the recipe!
Besides the difficulty in reading 90-something Aunt Vi's (And she was the baby in the family.) handwriting, there was one ingredient totally illegible. She wasn't sure either, so I called home on a night I knew the keepers of the secret would all be at my mom's, playing cards. I stayed on the phone while Uncle Homer read each letter aloud to spell the word. I had never heard of it.
My better half (i.e. smarter half) had, and said it sounded like opium. WHAT? (Better half claims to know this from reading Sherlock Holmes...) So, I looked it up and sure enough---OPIUM. No wonder my family "used it for everything."
During my next trip to my medical Captain (my Internist, my Team of doctors Leader), I told the story of an old family recipe and could he please prescribe this one ingredient. I showed him the recipe. He has learned I am a kidder of sorts, that I keep things light, so he just looked at me, "That is opium. I'm afraid I can't prescribe that."
"I just want it for removing splinters." (And getting rich.)
"Sorry."
"Well, how did they get it back then? Can't it be made from poppies?" (Lots of poppies in Seattle.)
"I guess so, but you would need a LOT of poppies." We both laughed.
I still have the recipe...
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