![]() September is my Dad’s birthday month. He would have been 102. In his honor I offer some of his memorable sayings, many of which are rooted in the language of the Midwest in general, and Minnesota in Particular. “My get up and go got up and went.” Dad probably said this everyday, particularly as he got older. Now I really get it. I feel this way a lot. Actually, this perfectly describes my energy level today. Along with this phrase came his description of his lack of mobility. He had “two speeds, slow and stopped.” At every doctor’s appointment or meeting with a new caregiver, or even to grocery clerks, Dad would gravely announce “I have TMB.” While the doctor or caregiver or whoever was contemplating what kind of rare disease or mental condition Dad had, he would point out that it stood for “Too Many Birthdays.” Then he would chuckle at his own joke. It used to drive me nuts because he said it so often, now I wish he still had TMB. “Don’t get your pants in a bundle” is a Midwestern version of the British “Don’t get your knickers in a bunch.” I often hear my inner Dad voice saying this to me when I start worrying too much. ![]() Dad had a number of phrases he used to describe people who were mentally off the mark. Coming from Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, one of his favorites was “He doesn’t have all his oars in the water.” As a carpenter he also used a lot of handyman references. “Not the sharpest tool in the shed,” “Not the brightest bulb in the box,” or “She has a screw loose” were part of his repertoire. My sister, who I guess was always in a hurry to do something, remembers him admonishing us to “Hold ‘er Knute!” This was used not only to slow us down, but also as a warning to hold on for just a minute before pursuing some unwise action, like putting a fork in an electric outlet. If you slowed down too much you were “Slow as molasses in January.” Much has been written about the extremely subdued nature of people from Minnesota who live by the Scandinavian code of not being overly emotional. This characteristic is covered quite thoroughly in the book “How to Talk Minnesotan.” I had tears rolling down my face the first time I read this book because it was so Dad. On a scale from really fabulous to horifically bad, the common responses for a Minnesotan are "pretty good," "not too bad," "not too good," and pretty bad." Here are some examples: Me: “I got all A’s on my report card.” Dad: “ That’s pretty good.” Me: “ What do you think of this wedding gown I sewed myself? “ Dad: “Not too bad.” As Dad would say, "If I had my druthers” I would have liked to hear a more effusive reply, but we understood that these phrases were high praise and represented the range of the emotions he was able to express. I used to say that his emotions ran from “A” to “C.” This ability to channel wild emotions worked “pretty good” in negative situations to create a feeling of calm and order. Dad was stoic and calm in emergencies. Me: ( While we were out on a picnic and Dad was building a fire) “You just missed that log and hit yourself in the shin with your hatchet!” Dad: “ It’s not too good. You kids get in the car and I will drive us all to the hospital emergency room.” Me: “There is a tornado headed this way!” Dad: “That’s pretty bad. Let’s all go into the North East corner of the basement.” Dad kept his cool at all times and, except for occasionally using "Damn," he did not swear. He considered it a sign that you were hiding the fact that you had a limited vocabulary. I remember him telling us that the guys at the Steel Plant where he worked were amazed that he could chew someone out without using a single four letter word. I am so happy to have these snippets of Dad in my memory bank. This will be a sad September without him, but when I start feeling down I know I will hear his voice reminding me not to get my pants in a bundle.
1 Comment
Linda Mason Pace
9/1/2015 11:00:31 am
Awwww...bringing back so many memories! Feeling sad - but so thankful he was in our lives for so long.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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