SonnyBoy

Hi Everyone,

NDW

It's been awhile since any posts have gone out to the family, I know it's a very busy time for all of us. We've also had the loss of a very dear family member, and it breaks my heart to know that our beloved "Sonny Boy", as most of us cousins affectionately called him, will no longer be around. But God has a Plan, and our Sonny Boy is a part of it, so we all know that he's gone on to a better place, amongst all of our Loved Ones who went before him and I know they've got that truly Heavenly Choir, The Sons of David, singing again and welcoming him Home. The Sons of David was the name of the singing group that our Williams Brothers belonged to in Boston, and now, all of them are together again.

So, we need something to cheer us up some, and I thought I'd pass this little item along that I saw on one of my message lists, I think it will bring a smile or two to our faces.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperatures isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hid the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs, etc.) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying: "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bin. Hence a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying: "Dirt poor."

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet so they spread straw on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more straw until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the sawing: "A thresh hold."

Source: Shirley Hornbeck

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Enjoy.

Deloris

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Thanks Deloris. Yes, SONNY BOY you will be missed. First of the Williams Family Grand's.

Daine (NDW)

This page was last updated on 07/14/06