When I was a young girl, many of the farmers grew tobacco. It is how we made a living & it paid our bills. We always had the privilege of helping Uncle Tom & Aunt Dot with their tobacco, along with their son Larry! You know we were just thrilled to work 6 days a week! Well, Aunt Dot always fed us a great dinner & we raided the outside frig & the cake plate as much as we could during the day. If you had time while hauling the tobacco from the field to the barn, you could stop & jump out...go to the restroom & grab something to eat! I remember Fanta orange & grape drinks. One day after dinner, Lila, Lynn & myself went outside in the front yard. Lila got the mail. There was a box in the mail...she opened it & guess what was inside....yep a sample can of Peach Snuff!!! Well, you know we were working in the stuff & we decided we would try some. Lila got her some, I got a little....I did not want to get sick.....then it was Lynn's turn. Well, she could not get it to come out of the can. She was sitting on the lawn mower I do believe. She told us just to pour her a little. So she held out her bottom lip while Lila began to try & drop some in. It would not come out, so we needed to tap on the bottom of the can. Lynn's holding out her lip, Lila's got the can, and I helped tap...well, when it came out it was not just a little and if you don't know, it is like powder. Oh dear, the laughter began...Lynn got a little tickled too, which did not help her situation at all. It was everywhere, in between all of her teeth. She got to the nearest water hose & washed her mouth out then told us that it was... not funny....I said, just a little!! We really did not mean for that to happen. Well folks Lynn & I did not go for the snuff....but Lila did...I think she dipped that stuff for about a month!!! We told her it was going to make her sick! I went to see Uncle Tom & Aunt Dot the other day, they are not doing well. Uncle Tom had a stroke years ago & his health has declined. Aunt Dot was just in the hospital for a week with heart problems. I ate lunch with her & as I sat & looked out the dining room window I just had to chuckle at all the fun we had working in tobacco. I shared the snuff story with her & she shared a memory she had from her childhood... skipping school, walking down the railroad track and trading a sandwich for some snuff with a little colored lady. Then her & her friends sprawled out on the railroad track sick as dogs! Love to visit with these two!
10 years ago