Honest Scraps

Debs , my U.K. (as in I can see the coast of Normandy from my bedroom window) blog buddy, gave me and Summit Musings this intriguing Honest Scrap award. At first I had no idea where the term "honest scrap" originated. Was it English slang? Nope. After a bit of googling, I found out that Honest Scrap was a brand name for chewing tobacco produced in the U.S. from 1890-1920s, possibly in Cleveland, Ohio.


I live in Kentucky, a major tobacco producing state. So, in this google search I was intrigued to run across an obscure legal clarification of the term "scrap" provided to the Louisville Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company from the U.S. Office of Tariffs. According to Mr. Tariff Lawyer, "scrap" is the reusable sweepings from the floors of tobacco processing plants--mostly stems and bits of leaves left over from making cigarettes. Scraps are processed into chewing tobaccos such as Honest Scrap, Redman, Beechnut. Another good reason not to smoke!

But now, back to the Honest Scrap Award from Debs. She asks her award recipients to share ten facts about themselves that may not be common knowledge. So, in no particular order, here are my Honest Scraps:
1. The first live play I saw on Broadway (late 60s) was Funny Girl, starring Barbra Streisand. Our seats were right in front of the orchestra pit, so we watched the boys in the band read books, newspapers, magazines until it was time to play some music.

2. I like people. I LOVE dogs.

3. I've visited over 20 foreign countries. Most exotic Caribbean islands, New Zealand and Ukraine.

4. I was robbed at gun point in a convenience store late one night. Moral of the story: wait until daylight to see if the latest issue of Glamour Magazine is on the newsstand.

5. I have a lightly used undergraduate degree in home economics. Totally out of left field. Thank goodness there's also majors in English, American literature, and adult education.

6. I had ONE date with a New York Yankee baseball pitcher, a rookie from Phoenix, Arizona. We had dinner, movies and then shopped for him--a shirt and tie, I think. Sad note: his citizenship may be questioned in Arizona today. . .

7. My best feature? Kind eyes.

8. I despise meanness and intolerance in the name of religion. There's enough room in this world for differences.

9. I've never spent a single night in a hospital, not even an emergency run.

10. I never traveled out of my home county in eastern Kentucky until I was a senior in high school. First time in town, the streetlight shining in my bedroom kept me awake.

So Debs, there you have my "honest scraps". Now I'm supposed to pass this award along to five other bloggers. How about we change the rules a bit? If you'd like to share some of your deep history with us, consider this award yours!


Just for fun update: I found this baseball card for my New York Yankee dream date. :-) Gil Blanco was just a teen when the Yankees signed him in 1965. I met him in the summer 1966. Can you see why this college girl was excited?