Speaker: See, we had a tractor then. Speaker 2: So you baited them with oats to catch them. Speaker: And in the-- in them days, like, a tractor was a lot more fascinating than a pair of stinking horses. Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Speaker: So that's my fondest memory.

... if some kid did something wrong, she'd looked so upset that we did something, that rather than give us the strap, like- ah- it hurt more when we knew that we disappointed her than if we got the strap. And back then you did get the strap.

... they'd go "Oh!" Oh you don't get in serious trouble because there was the strap. ... Well the teacher- that's what the discipline was.

And she ah- she was far far too strict really. I know that now because if you had a mistake in spelling, you got a slap with the strap. If you'd two mistakes, you got two. The same thing in arithmetic. You made a mistake, you got a slap. Two, two slaps. Three, three slaps.

Yeah. So she said, "I'll teach you to tell lies." And she got the slap- the strap. Down she came. She started beating me and I would not cry. And they told me after, I should have cried right off the bat and might not have beat me so much. But one of the other girls, she started counting and she got up to thirty-two and then she got so upset she lost count. But anyhow it finally ended. And the next day I was black and blue from there to there.

... But he was making no disturbance. But again the teacher saw him and he was just five years old and she grabbed the strap and down and told him that was not the way to behave in school. ... And Emelia and I were heartbroken.

And we got slaps if you had mistake in spelling, you got one slap. If you had two mistakes you got two. The same in your math. If you- for every mistake, you got a slap of the strap.

We didn't do pranks then, ah, because in public school, um, everybody except my older sister who was just there one year then she was gone into high school, but the rest of us including everybody in the school got strappings for something. ... And, ah, so nobody even looked sideways.

Interviewer: And now were there big square-dances in the harvest in October- t-- in September, October? Harvest dances? Speaker: No, there was more suppers at the church. (both laugh) For you had to work! We had strawberry-socials and what were the rest of them called? Where you went and there was no facilities at the church whatsoever.

The ah um entertainment consisted of a lot of house parties. And ah you'd announce a house party and the neighbours would show up with their horse and buggies and ah spend the evening ah listening to music or dancing or have a strawberry social on your front deck. And it revolved around through the community.

Now, my parents went to the- the odd social event. You-know, they- in the summer times they would have strawberry socials, they called it. And that was- ... Just like a big party, a get-together and- ... And strawberries and shortcake, I guess it is.

Speaker: They would go to the bush, saw logs all winter, saw lumber, and they would come and they would frame the barn and then h-- he would say "Al ah, you've- you go round- round up a hundred men for such-and-such a day." Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: "And we'll put the barn up." Interviewer: Now that- okay.

Interviewer: But ah yeah- 'cause a lot of kids now are left out. Speaker: Yeah. Interviewer: 'Cause you- Speaker: Because everything is- Interviewer: It's 'cause they don't have the money to- to do it. Speaker: Ord- ordained to such and such and such Interviewer: Mm. Speaker: And if you're not good at it, well then- Interviewer: Yeah too. Yeah. Speaker: That's- it's too bad, it's ah-

They had both- one or the other and so Kris said- and they treated me just like family and all through the years they said ah you will come to our reception and you'll do such and such and I said, "I will do anything to help you prepare but I don't want to go." And they were having a dance in the- one of the halls. Ah and Kyle said, "Well if Ray was alive, he'd go." I said, "That is utterly different."

Interviewer: ... you've mentioned your grand-parents a couple of times, do you remember them from when you were a little girl? Speaker: They lived in half of the house, we just, grew up, they were there. They were just part of us. ... They had their own kitchen and dining room, and win-- winter-kitchen, summer-kitchen.

They have a great big old brick home I've- they've- it's just beautiful now and ah her husband made a what we call a summer kitchen you-know in them years. He re-did it.

The one other time Mother- my mother would make tea and biscuits before the game-warden, Ford-Roberts come in to check the fish out in the spring and m-- Mother would invite him in for tea and biscuits in the back-kitchen, in the k-- s-- summer kitchen with Gramp.

So you had to go out and get that six-quart basket of potatoes, six-quart basket of beans, a bunch of carrots, you-know it's- and then you got dinner ready and did the dishes, and then you could go play 'til it was time to get something for supper.

Interviewer: Okay. And now were there big square-dances in the harvest in October- t-- in September, October? Harvest dances? Speaker: No, there was more suppers at the church. (both laugh)

Speaker: Because, ah, they had to have something. Just a second, I'll be right with you. I have to think of supper in the morning. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: My husband thinks I'm mental, but- well I said, "Well if you didn't think of supper in the morning- Interviewer: You wouldn't have anything on t-- pl-- table at night!