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LEANJEAN6
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My Scows beside the door!

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Saturday, August 26, 2017


Yesterday I weeded a garden I hadn't gotten to all summer--

It was this long one---
Whenever I'm in the garden, I wear a pair of old runners, which sit just inside the sunroom door--
"What kind of shoes are those?' Himself asked me yesterday.

These same shoes have been sitting by that door all summer---
Himself just noticed-
"These are my scows", I replied." I just wear them for gardening"
"What did you call them?' Himself asked?---

I started to laugh-----
"My Scows" I again said----realizing that that is a word I haven't heard in many years--
-a word which my Mom used to use, which mustve been buried in the depths of my mind--sitting there for years and years--

You see, my Grampa in Port Perry used to have Scows---His Scows used to sit beside the woodpile, in the woodshed, just outside of the kitchen, along with his hat.
My Mom had Scows----She always called them--Scows--her oldest shoes--just worn in the garden--perhaps not even having laces in them--
Crazy memories----with words that just pop out of no-where from times past!


My stepper has only 1300 steps so far to-day, so I best get going--
Lord love a Duck----so happy I don't live in Texas to-day!

-the pets need to get outside!
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Member Comments About This Blog Post
  • TOMATOCAFEGAL
    I USE TO CRINGE WHEN MY MOTHER CAME OUT, NOW I SMILE AND WISH SHE WERE HERE.
    837 days ago
  • IDICEM
    Scows -- perfect.
    838 days ago
  • PRNCSCUP1-2FULL
    Yikes! I may have to make my page private. didn't know everything we wrote here could end up out there! Loved reading your memories!
    838 days ago
  • TERRIJ7
    I relegate my oldest shoes to the dirtiest jobs too. I don't wear them in the house, but leave them near the door.
    838 days ago
  • NANHBH
    Memories - tucked between the pages of our mind...

    Love the picture of the animals. So sweet!
    839 days ago
  • BELINDAISKETO
    Beautiful garden, fun memories.
    840 days ago
  • BJAEGER307
    I have shoes like that, they are my clogs. Why get rid of good shoes that you can use for messy jobs? I know my Mom and Dad both had pairs like that because we were always in the garden. Your garden looks great. I love when I get a flower gardens all weeded and in order.
    840 days ago
  • AZMOMXTWO
    I love your blogs they are so fun to read and I also have a pair of shoes that I only use when I am doing nasty cleaning around the pump house so i get that kind of thing
    840 days ago
  • MBPP50
    Your yard and garden look great! emoticon
    840 days ago
  • no profile photo JSEATTLE
    I have scows too! Who knew what they were called!
    840 days ago
  • ROCKYCPA
    Definitely praying for those who live in Texas. Love your word memory!
    840 days ago
  • MCFITZ2
    I have scows and didn't know it.
    840 days ago
  • CAROLJ35
    I've heard of scow in reference to a boat, but not to shoes. But it does make sense!
    Thanks to all those who looked it up and shed more light on the subject.
    Another interesting blog, Lynda.
    840 days ago
  • ALICIA214



    Funny, the things that come out of your memory via your mouth,For no reason I remembered my step-grandfather used to call All cats Moggies,I have no idea where that came from..

    Keep going with your WW programme,I would like to see a trim Yourself pic at your son's Wedding.

    emoticon emoticon
    840 days ago
  • INFLATED
    Dad used the word "mugwump." He said it was a person who sits with his mug on one side of the fence and his wump on the other."

    I had never heard of the word scow before. I was one that used to take the Reader's Digest into the bathroom and look up word meanings. I think it had something to do with improving your vocabulary. You have taught us something with your blog.
    840 days ago
  • MOEE45
    Have a great day on this beautiful day!! emoticon
    840 days ago
  • NANCYPAT1
    When my mother comes out in me, I am pleased because she was always positive and upbeat.
    840 days ago
  • EDWARDS1411
    Love looking up old expressions - scow is new for me. The actual meaning is a wide-beamed sailing dinghy.
    a flat-bottomed boat with sloping ends used as a lighter and in dredging and other harbor services However, a bit of research revealed a down east (Prince Edward Island) expression - scow -

    "Big, often flat, foot, shoe or boot. A joke for big feet. 'Get your scows out of my way.' A teasing name for having big feet or wearing big shoes. Big feet. 'What a pair of scows.' 'Your shoes are as big as scows.' Boots that resembled an old boat, too big for a person. 'They're not scows, they're barges.'"

    Isn't that fun!!!



    840 days ago
  • ARTJAC
    emoticon
    840 days ago
  • WATERMELLEN
    LOVE that doggy photo!!

    And yup: skows is a good name for 'em!!
    840 days ago
  • BBLUNDON
    Sometimes I look in my mirror and my mother appears
    840 days ago
  • HARROWJET
    I have back door shoes too. Interesting memory.
    840 days ago
  • RAZZOOZLE
    emoticon
    840 days ago
  • MASRITE
    Good job on the gardening!! They look great!
    840 days ago
  • IMAVISION
    I looked the term up in the dictionary & found: A large flatbottom boat with square ends, used chiefly for transporting freight. (Nautical Terms) an unpowered barge used for freight; lighter & (Nautical Terms) (esp in the midwestern US) a sailing yacht with a flat bottom, designed to plane. And last, while not least: any of various vessels having a flat-bottomed rectangular hull with sloping ends, as barges, punts, rowboats, or sailboats.

    When there was nothing pointing to shoes of any type in the dictionary, I assumed that it must be a local word used for clodhoppers = big heavy shoes. emoticon

    Carol's find by Googling "scows" shed a new light on the term. However, I am left wondering why that definition was not found in the dictionary. emoticon

    And, yes, Lynda, all our shared blogs are out there = way beyond the bounds of "Sparkville"! Rather like the record of our life choices that the Creator God has = nothing hidden. emoticon

    I believe most folks have a pair or two of scows = I have a pair on the step leading down into the garage & another pair on the covered deck just outside our bedroom French doors = I use both pairs when walking around our back forty = no gardening for this gal. emoticon

    God bless!
    840 days ago
  • SWEETMAGNOLIA2
    So THAT'S what they're called! Scows. All this time I've been calling them my garden shoes. LOL I'll have to remember that. I use them for cutting grass, too. Then they are my "grass cutting shoes". There's a long section of garden I'm just now getting around to weeding also. The rest of the garden has kept me too busy until now.
    840 days ago

    Comment edited on: 8/26/2017 6:44:43 PM
  • QUARTERMASTER3
    emoticon
    840 days ago
  • NOLAHORSERIDER
    Wow Good blog. Always nice to learn a new old word!

    SparkCheers,

    Nola
    840 days ago
  • PACEKA1
    I have shoes like that sitting at my back door too - just for working in the gardens. I have found myself using a word now and then that is a remnant of my childhood - my husband just looks at me like I'm making things up!
    840 days ago
  • PHHHISC
    The garden looks great! emoticon
    840 days ago
  • no profile photo JEANNETTE59
    I find myself using words handed down from my grandparents....the looks on my grandsons faces you can only imagine emoticon

    Love the pictures of your garden and of course the animal trio. The strange part is that when Jack (the 135 lb) hound and I were out for a walk this morning we met the identical twin for the beautiful large white dog, her name is Bella and Jack is smitten emoticon
    840 days ago
  • TERMITEMOM
    I had never of that word either!
    840 days ago
  • CRISDG
    Always smile at the memories associated with some words. Have a fabulous weekend.
    840 days ago
  • NANASUEH
    Love it. Love your garden.

    emoticon
    840 days ago
  • 75HEALTHYME

    Yup, most times it is easy to find something for which to be thankful.

    840 days ago
  • BTRFLYDOG
    Love those memories that come back from time to time. You have a beautiful yard.
    840 days ago
  • PATRICIA-CR
    Soothing and lovely view! I have my scows too emoticon
    840 days ago
  • GRANDP
    That is quite a word. I love the picture of the animals. They look so happy with each other. I do live in Texas and the ducks are really happy with all this rain. emoticon
    840 days ago
  • SUSIEMT
    Woo Hoo you Lynda! Isn't it funny how those old expressions just pop out of our mouths at the appropriate time!
    emoticon
    840 days ago
  • DGRIFFITH51
    Ah, time in the garden, one of the necessary jobs we must do to have a lovely yard. Hope the remainder of your weekend is good.

    We have another birthday party tomorrow and on Thursday my mom will be 93; that makes 5 for the month of August (yes, everyone in our family gets a party). There are another 3 family members who have August birthdays but they do not live near. Some how I have managed not to gain weight and stepping on the scale this morning I was down another 1/2 lb.

    Have a lovely day and weekend,
    emoticon emoticon emoticon

    840 days ago
  • FRAN0426
    It is amazing how words from years ago buried in our mind arise and bring back memories. emoticon
    840 days ago
  • XX_LACEE_XX
    😀
    841 days ago
  • 1DAY-ATA-TIME
    We call our old shoes "bateaus."
    It's interesting how these words and phrases pop up from our past. I have a mixed heritage like most people and often lookup for the origin of these idioms.
    841 days ago

    Comment edited on: 8/26/2017 11:50:03 AM
  • TRISTAROSE
    emoticon
    841 days ago
  • PHOENIX1949
    We are about 180 miles from where Harvey made landfall and having rain and wind gusts with some flooding of low water crossings and some power outages. In 1961 when a Category 4 hurricane slammed the Texas coastline (Carla), our cousins who came up from Galveston to Austin to stay with us had less damage to their home than we did (part of our roof blew off). Grateful for our comfortable home and planning to stay in it over the weekend and early week.

    emoticon
    841 days ago
  • LIVINGLOVINLIFE
    Scows, new word for an well used pair of shoes. You are always a wealth of knowledge and found memories.
    841 days ago
  • MARYJOANNA
    Never heard of that word. Must be a Canadian thing! Just kidding!
    841 days ago
  • JULIENSMITH
    Nice blog.
    841 days ago
  • WESTERNSAGE
    So going back to Himself's question, what kind of shoes are those? This is the 21st century, after all, so I Googled it. I ended up with a document called The Camp Chase Gazzette by John A. Braden. It included a discussion of shoes and boots during the period of the American Civil War. In it I found the following: "While shoes are supposed to be unmentionable in arab countries, in america they spawned a number of idiomatic phrases that were in use during the civil war. The soldiers called their rough brogans hooves, whangs, tanyards, pontoons, ferry (or gun) boats, cowhide monitors or mud scows." So I gather scows refers to a somewhat square toed boot. Interesting.

    In the process of doing the Google search I also found a reference to this blog, Lynda. Apparently you will be known world-wide by anyone looking for the subject of scows. It's a good reminder that while we feel we are in our own little Spark world anything we write here goes in the public venue.

    841 days ago
  • no profile photo INCH_BY_INCH
    emoticon
    841 days ago

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