Saturday, February 12, 2011

I didn't know....

I have found two things in the last two days that I am completely baffled by, the first being this mythical creature, not the unicorn, but the cute little narwhal, I didn’t know until yesterday, and thanks to “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” that the narwhal is not mythical at all, it is a true creature that lives in the Arctic Ocean, and their skin is chuck full of vitamin C. I am completely stymied by this discovery. I can’t stop thinking about them. How could I have lived this long without ever even hearing of a narwhal? They have officially replaced the Liger as my favorite animal. 


  
The second thing I didn’t know until today (thanks to my father-in-law that grew up a poor child in Arkansas in the 30’s) is that people use to use these as toilet paper.

Yes corn cobs. I looked up corn cob as toilet paper, and it is totally true, it said that some people used to hang the cob from a string so it could be re-used, and people who were more affluent had disposable cobs.  

Which leads me to wonder if that is where the term “corn hole” comes from?

19 comments:

  1. I have heard about this. I've also heard of corn cob pipes. I just hope they weren't inter-changeable.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You and me both sister, you and me both!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I watched a movie "Babies" last year and the mom wipes the babies butt on her leg and then uses a corncob to clean her leg - eeewwww - but I guess they don't have a store you can run to to buy TP -

    ReplyDelete
  4. Corn cob butt wipes. Can you say hemorrhoids?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I also read that they soaked them in ashes and water to soften them somehow it makes them fluffy, but then you're wiping ashes on.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey! You're new too! Welcome!!
    Wonder where the cob came from. Did it drop from the sky like the coke bottle in "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and I'm with you on the eeeewwwww

    ReplyDelete
  7. Funny, we were wondering the same thing the other day. Before toilet paper was invented in the late 1800's, what on earth did people use? I'm sure the National Enquirer wasn't in print yet. Okay, I've been 'stranding' while camping - leaves are good - but corn cobs? Ouch!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just wish it wasn't so damn expensive, but unless we want to go back to Catalina ere really isn't an alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leaves are slippery, and I don't know enough about plants not to wipe with poison ivy. Wait! TP was invented in the 1800's? How poor do you have to be, when tp exists, but you have to use the cob? I just though it hadn't been invented yet.

    ReplyDelete
  10. damn ipad correcting words, I think I wanted to say unless we go back to corn cobs there really isn't an alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I replied earlier, it must not have stuck.
    I didn't know that vit c could come from meat, I thought it only came from fruits and veggies, I guess that's 3 things I learned in the last few days.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Total flash back. My roommate in college L. O. V. E. D. That movie. She talked about it incessantly, thought it was hysterical. Then we saw it together and I just didn't get it.

    I haven't thought of that movie in at least 20 years. And I can't even tell you what it was about. All I remember is the coke bottle falling out of the sky.

    ReplyDelete
  13. And some day people will think we were Neanderthals for using toilet paper. I wonder what method will be next. BTW... I've heard that eating the corn first keeps you regular....

    ReplyDelete
  14. If it makes you feel any better, I've never heard of a narwhal either. And, um...I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must be to wipe your bottom with corn cobs. YIKES.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It was a strange movie, I only remember parts of it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Never heard about narwhals but I did know about the corn cobs and do a complete Eww and shiver whenever I read about them. Ick. Though corn cobs might be better than the reusable cloth linen they hung in the outhouse for everyone to share. I am so glad I didn't live during that time.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ooh, ouch, painful... corncobs? OUCH!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for stopping by BrahmK cute pooch :)

    ReplyDelete