Dedicated to remembering how it was “back then”, and Tales about the Eel River Valley, and the wisdom of the people that live there. With a big emphasis on; “Language has never been about correctness, it has always been about communicating”.
We live in one small bubble of place and time that peace is thought of as ideal, we should revel in it!
We cant judge what happened in history by who we are now.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Okay I'll keep it simple.
Why are Oyster Crakers called "Oyster Crackers?" I really don't know! My wife said that I should ask you guy's.
My dad used to embarrass the boys in our family when we would go to the Seafood Grotto in Eureka. His favorite seafood place. While waiting for our order to come to the table, he would pass the time by cracking open the individual oyster crackers and buttering them, then eating them. We thought this was a sign of no fetchin' up.
Here these country folks came to town and we're trying to act proper by not acting like hill people when our father goes and does something like that. No class.
Time passes. I'm out with my daughter at The Marina Restaurant. She opens the oyster cracker package and proceeds to open them up and butter the insides and eat them. As they say, it doesn't fall too far from the family tree.
I love this blog! Wittingly or unwittingly, I learn somehting new everyday from you and/or the comments. Google says: The oyster crackers were introduced in Trenton, NJ in 1847 by an English immigrant, Adam Exton. Exton conceived the idea of baking a cracker to be used in oyster stews. In those days, oysters were as popular as shrimp today. As the saying went: "Six oysters a day will help keep the doctor away." Well, according to folklore, "Six oysters a day may do a hell of lot more than keep the doctor away..."
Thanks E. R. Ernie! I knew someone would come through.
Eko, We used to do the same thing. Back then when you went into a restaurant, there was always butter and crackers on the table, and most people would butter and eat them.
You guys are going to have to be patient with me for a while, I'm working on a great and unprecedented historical post. And all the Old-Timers will appreciate it. At least I will!
If it seems like I’m ignoring you, I’m not, my internet has been off and on.
I have a friend that says that "Everyone from Laytonville’s family tree is a pole”, that they are all related. I’ll bet that if Robin Shelly and I spend enough time at it, we would find how far back we are related.
I'm sure that at one time or another Eel River Ernie and my paths have crossed. It doesn't seem likely that they wouldn't have.
One of the things that I like about bloging is finding old friends and acquaintances, and remembering old stories that I had forgotten years ago. Like the two cowboys roping the Moose Head on the front of the bar on Branscomb road. That was the talk of the town…. They didn’t have T.V. back then. So who had the most fun.
Ahhhhhh! So Ernie & I really are related! LOL, Eko. Hey! How do you know about "My Three Sons" if you only had two TV channels when you were a kid? I didn't get that show on my two channels! I can see by your picture that you are a Thinking Primate... are you thinking of another post? Hmmm?
I heard once that it's because they were originally made to serve with (or on?) oyster stew. Have no idea if that's true but sounds good!
ReplyDeleteYeah, what she said...maybe???
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to embarrass the boys in our family when we would go to the Seafood Grotto in Eureka. His favorite seafood place. While waiting for our order to come to the table, he would pass the time by cracking open the individual oyster crackers and buttering them, then eating them. We thought this was a sign of no fetchin' up.
ReplyDeleteHere these country folks came to town and we're trying to act proper by not acting like hill people when our father goes and does something like that. No class.
Time passes. I'm out with my daughter at The Marina Restaurant. She opens the oyster cracker package and proceeds to open them up and butter the insides and eat them. As they say, it doesn't fall too far from the family tree.
Perhaps my dad is haunting us through genetics.
I love this blog! Wittingly or unwittingly, I learn somehting new everyday from you and/or the comments.
ReplyDeleteGoogle says: The oyster crackers were introduced in Trenton, NJ in 1847 by an English immigrant, Adam Exton. Exton conceived the idea of baking a cracker to be used in oyster stews. In those days, oysters were as popular as shrimp today. As the saying went: "Six oysters a day will help keep the doctor away."
Well, according to folklore, "Six oysters a day may do a hell of lot more than keep the doctor away..."
Thanks E. R. Ernie! I knew someone would come through.
ReplyDeleteEko,
We used to do the same thing. Back then when you went into a restaurant, there was always butter and crackers on the table, and most people would butter and eat them.
You guys are going to have to be patient with me for a while, I'm working on a great and unprecedented historical post. And all the Old-Timers will appreciate it. At least I will!
If it seems like I’m ignoring you, I’m not, my internet has been off and on.
Oysters have an aphrodisiac quality.
ReplyDeletein Boston is America's oldest restaurant.
Greg likes oyster crackers on chili.
South Fork Ernie, You and Eel River Ernie should meet some day. Hopefully at the Blogger's Picnic in September.
ReplyDeleteYou two have somewhat parallel lives. But the, everyone who grew up in Northern California has parallel lives.
I have a friend that says that "Everyone from Laytonville’s family tree is a pole”, that they are all related. I’ll bet that if Robin Shelly and I spend enough time at it, we would find how far back we are related.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that at one time or another Eel River Ernie and my paths have crossed. It doesn't seem likely that they wouldn't have.
One of the things that I like about bloging is finding old friends and acquaintances, and remembering old stories that I had forgotten years ago. Like the two cowboys roping the Moose Head on the front of the bar on Branscomb road. That was the talk of the town…. They didn’t have T.V. back then. So who had the most fun.
Uncle Ernie!!!
ReplyDeleteRobin Shelley, are you referring to Uncle Ernie in The Who's "Tommy"?
ReplyDeleteErnie Branscomb said:
ReplyDelete"I’ll bet that if Robin Shelly and I spend enough time at it, we would find how far back we are related."
I don't know, Carol... is Ernie Branscomb really Keith Moon? Or, maybe he's the Uncle Ernie from the Wings song "Let 'em In"?
(:
I have to expose the truth.....Ernie is the kid with the glasses from My Three Sons.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh! So Ernie & I really are related! LOL, Eko. Hey! How do you know about "My Three Sons" if you only had two TV channels when you were a kid? I didn't get that show on my two channels! I can see by your picture that you are a Thinking Primate... are you thinking of another post? Hmmm?
ReplyDelete