Originally Posted by
Ole WV Coot
I feel I was fortunate. Grandpa was born in 1895 in E. KY and lived until I was in my 20s. He and others his age and older taught me what they learned from their Grandfathers & Mothers. Grandpa taught me how to make what I needed & raise what I ate. Grandma knew all the "greens" & any plant you could use for medicine & food. I was a teen when my great grandma died, and before that she taught us youngsters that wanted to learn about making soap & things she had to learn. Her folks "loaned" her out when she was 6 because they couldn't afford to feed her and the rest of them. She never went to school and worked for room & board(food was family leftovers). Grandpa talked to me like an adult, he used what he knew to survive in France during WWI, still applies. Dad taught me a lot but learned more from some of his friends, WWII vets who fought all over the world, especially the Pacific and hand to hand with the Japanese island hopping. I learned more when the vets had a few drinks in them and I really enjoyed learning and everyone was glad to teach me, including some bad habits. Guess I would make it, still have about 80 or more acres up a holler in KY. I left at 18 so if that explains where I am coming from it may help why I post the things I do. I never stopped learning to stay well fed and in one piece everywhere I happened to be. Guess I come across wrong but I want to forget where I got some survival knowledge, just trying to help you younger guys get to my age.
