“Skipper” King Turns 102 Years Young

A few weeks ago we celebrated my grandmother’s one hundred and second birthday.  She was born in 1914, the year World War I started, Green Beer was invented, and the first non-direct blood transfusion was performed.  There are so many things that happened that year and the years leading up to today.  It is really mind-boggling when you sit back and think about all of the things she has seen and experienced, over the last hundred and two years.  I grew up in the seventies … the age of aquarius,  the computer and spaceflight, and soon the personal computer and smart phone.  Grandma saw the invention of television, every type of music we listen to today and then some,  and every war since World War I.  We grew up with the invention of cable TV, video games (Pong), personal computers, and cell phones.  It is safe to say we grew up in different worlds, or histories for sure.   She grew up in what I studied as history in school, I grew up in what was the future for her.

When we were kids we stayed with our grandparents a lot, and it was a blast.  Living in the woods with hills, streams, ponds, and pools.  Television was a luxury, not allowed during the day, and was what everyone fell asleep to every night watching the news then Johnny Carson.   Being the oldest of three boys I would always manage to get myself into a little trouble.  She would always say I’m gonna crown you kids one of these days if you don’t cut that out.  Now the fact we were young and had the last name of King.  I thought that would be a good thing … to be crowned.  It’s not.  Believe me it was not what I had imagined at all, in fact it was the exact opposite.  I blame Disney for that illusion.  Don’t take that the wrong way we were not abused, it was just an expression and this was the seventies.  She is a great lady and taught me a lot about life and cooking.  One thing you never did at that house was starve, and you could learn how to make all kinds of things.  I still love to cook today thanks to my grandmother, who would get up at the crack of dawn to make everything.  She didn’t buy food, she made food.   You didn’t buy cookies you made them and that sort of thing.  It was also a time when I learned that bread bags make great boot liners as long as my friends didn’t see them.  Also I learned that Fresca was not my soda of choice or anyone else’s.    My other favorite memory is her hiding her silver spoons from my grandfather.  He would hammer them into spoons and metal jigs.  Back in those days you made your own gear or paid a lot of money for lures.  Spoons were actual spoons and hopkins like lures were butterknife handles.  Pop used to try and get us to sneak a spoon away at Thanksgiving just to get her riled up, she kept a close eye on the good silver.  Pop thought that was the funniest thing.  Pop passed away many years ago, but he lives on in her and I’s stories and memories.

My love for the outdoors and fishing came from my grandparents and was encouraged by them greatly.  It still is today.  I can’t wait to see her on her hundred and third birthday!

Fish On!

Rich King