It didn’t matter if it was a scrape or a splinter being extracted, somehow it always ended up with something akin to Windex being applied. Later in life, the ‘suck it up‘ hardship lessons gained deeper appreciation, Fatherhood training.
Today we recognize men, Fathers who have the most consequential role. The rock, the foundation, the cornerstone.
From the very moment of conception, a father’s active and loving presence helps to determine the child. The quality of that child’s life is then tied to a man’s fortitude, a commitment to love, nurture and develop his children.
Many of us are fortunate to have experienced loving fathers; even when we may not have defined the expression of love in the moment. Often, we do not realize the extent of a father’s love and sacrifice until we ourselves become parents.
“A good and loving father is a foundation of strength and love on which a family is established, and it supports the growth of the family, and of the people who belong to the family. As a man gives of his strength, his love, his guidance, his wisdom, he builds something special and unique, something unrivaled in the world. He creates in his children the unlimited potential to go out into the world and thrive, to change that world, hopefully for the better. And most importantly of all, he creates the opportunity for his children to be strong enough to nurture and love a family of their own.”
Today we honor the men who gave us our lives and gave us their hearts. Happy Father’s Day. May you spend the day enjoying the fruits of your labors with those you love, and those who love you best.” ~ Menagerie, ’12
Windex was never an antibiotic, and each time I see the bottle in the closet I think about what it represents in that context. Weakness is not one of the options available. ~Sundance
Happy Father’s Day!
We were too poor to have Windex. Just wash it off with well water.
If it was not covered in the seaman’s medical book, that my dad always took to sea with him, (something related to communicable diseases and or injuries….)…
It was a ‘walk it off’ type thing…of course, after applying iodine.
Iodine or merthiolate.
Or as we called it – Monkey Blood
M
That, also. Besides soap & water. Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Still use today!
I always hoped to bleed some. It was fun watchimg the blood bubble with hydrogen peroxide. Besides, it horrified my sister to see it.
Before the 20th Century, the best antiseptic was amputation. We have come a long way!
When my son was growing up, every time he would complain about some minor ailment, I would ask him if we needed to amputate.
Yeah but we always had Vicks. Cured anything/everything.
My papaw preferred Camphophenic.
Castor Oil…
It is a great honor to provide for yours.
My Windex was “hydrogen peroxide”.
Listerine works.
Oh my goodness! I read your comment and went and cleaned one side of my Arcadia door . I’ve been looking at the spots left in an area by the very short lived (less than one minute) rain and dust storm last week. One paper towel and five squirts of hydrogen peroxide BETTER than windex!
Actually, I use a product called Thieves. I make it myself and it lasts quite a long time.
Thanks for the great advice, dad!
…and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the wonderful fathers out there.
For us it was Camphophenique or Mercurochrome…..
Mercurochrome!!!! Yessssss…. LOL
Had to import it from Mexico after it was banned.
For me, too. Along with Unguentine. (Sp?)
That and Mercurochrome!
Yep!
We’d hope for Peroxide
but usually it was
– 😫
❤️🔥👍🏼——- done us good!
Bless all you fathers💞
Yes in my family it was Mercurochrome and Methylate, both are now banned because they contain Mercury.
.
I would always ask for the one of those that did not burn upon application.
.
To which the reply was, “Oh yes this is the one that does not burn.”
.
In reality they both created intense burning feeling.
.
The reply was, “Well if it does not burn you then you wont get better.”
.
Miss both my parents today.
Mercurochrome
How am I Alive and healthy when I used Mercurochrome throughout my childhood??
Hydrogen peroxide was my Sicilian grandmother’s cure for everything. Davero? (not sure abut the spelling)
Thinking about our longtime friend Maquis, a particularly special friend of mine – b/c our shared love of languages.
Happy Father’s Day to all the good – great – men here.
if it didn’t require a tourniquet, it got this:
https://bactine.com/
😂
One of the main causes of the moral, cultural and political decay in our country is that we are lacking in Godly fathers (and mothers).
We have a great many Godly fathers and mothers in the Treehouse community. I pray that God would add to our ranks in the nation at large.
May God bring about a great revival and restoration in the United States and around the globe.
Prayerfully, we need that restoration, to happen very soon…there are way too many young men, a few generations worth, that are deficient in the knowledge of how to parent (and in the ongoing tasks of ‘fatherhood’). And I believe that is related to the absence of God, within the heart and house. And moms too…that old saying of “the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the nation” comes to mind…
Amen!
Blessings Sundance !
Thank you for your fellowship and inspiring words.
I am sorry to say this, but at times, it was “use your own spit” or “blow on it, it will be fine.”
Semper Fidelis!
My father missed combat with the Marines by one month! He was not quite 18 years old, had just finished basic training in July 1945, and was waiting to invade Japan – his mother told me that she was “fit to be tied” by the very thought of it – and then came Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August.
He was in Guam between then and the start of the Korean War: fungal infections from training in Guam had so ruined his feet, that he was sent to Cincinnati to be a recruiter in the late 1940’s, and never saw combat in Korea.
In his honor, I would like to acquaint you with his favorite military movie, Jack Webb’s The D.I.
(The quality is not the best: the YouTube title is smart-alecky. But I recommend the whole movie! I think it holds up well!)
Just walk it off…
“use your own spit”
I forgot about that one. Thanks. 😂
Jack Webb! I would recognize that voice anywhere; anytime.
“I am not your mother!”
I remember this movie well!
Thank you for the clip, Ausonius!
Dad was the very best. Preteens girls in the neighborhood played soft ball at the park.
My Father would pitch for both teams.
Dad told me if you say you are going to do something DO IT.
Your Word is your honor.
ps: ammonia and bleach applied on a sting or a bite seems to neutralize it immediately.
It works when a huge black bumble bee stung my young daughter years ago. Applied ammonia immediately and it worked..
Thank you, Sundance and wonderful crew.
Sweet, smart and strong. Thoughtful also.
Becky BE
You know you never mix ammonia and bleach together. The combination creates chloramine gas which is quite dangerous.
Perhaps you meant us ammonia or bleach to treat an insect bite.
yes I know
it is either or
Thank you for clarifying
Also, you do nt mix bleach with Ajax or cleaning powder.
Becky BE
Or bleach and dish detergent. Don’t ever mix those two.
Please do not mix the two you will make a gas that will make you sick. Strong acids and bases must be kept apart.
I know.
Thank you see above
Becky BE
I’ve been a beekeeper for many years.
I can’t recommend anything for the pain of the sting but Benadryl will definitely take care of the subsequent swelling and itching.
The Vet even told me to give a half tablet to my dog when she got stung by several bees.
Stings or insect bites we used to rub soap over it and it would stop pain or itch immediately.
Happy Father’s Day to all TreeHouse dads.
God’s blessings & love to all!
The pinkish-red walk of shame from Merthiolate… my Dad would say “if it doesn’t burn, it’s not working”😳.
The best man I ever knew…I miss him every single day🙏🏻❤️
When I was 10 I was helping my Dad move cinder block around to the back of the house. I remembering him saying “how come you’re only carrying one at a time? It’ll take all day to get it done.” So I started carrying one in each hand.
“the best man I ever knew”–amen. me, too.
Amen, as to “WHAT IS A FATHER?! Have a blessed “Fathers Day” Sundance, Menagerie, and family!
the older I get, the more I understand my dad (died over 20 years ago). What did I know at 3 years old, or 5 years old, or in my teens (active hormones). I gave my dad grief over the years. Rebellious terrible 2’s lasted longer than when I was a 2 year old. Thanks dad.
I found the Father GOD, and I consciously became a child of God. (well, the whole package of GOD will take eternity to grow into, GOD is AWESOME.
Happy Fathers Day … to GOD Almighty. Thanks GOD for Loving all your children, as rebellious as we can be at times. 🙂
TRUMP is turning out to be a Great father of USA. Thanks Trump
Received this document yesterday confirming it’s all been worthwhile!
A contract to continue the fight against darkness that wants to shade our lives.
Happy Father’s Day to you and yours!
I go back even further when Mercurochrome was the antiseptic of choice until it was determined to be toxic. But I survived, no infections, and became a father to a boy and girl. Happy Father’s Day to all, and to even those who did not plan to be a father!
My dad had a bar of Fels Naptha in the laundry tub in the basement. That was used to clean scrapes and cuts. Nasty stuff.
Then the mercurochrome was painted over. The badge of courage.
Fortunately mom took care of most of the injuries. She used regular soap then the mercurochrome.
‘suck it up‘
That brought back a flood of family memories. 😂
Thank you for the post.
Happy Father’s Day.
Merthiolate was our go-to scrape remedy.
It hurt so good.
Liberal application of WD-40 on a deep cut while working in the garage and subsequently wrapped in a paper towel with duct tape, solved the immediate problem. The ER nurse was not amused when she asked what I did. Fingers survived.
My mom’s philosophy was if it didn’t sting it wouldn’t work. Mercurochrome was her go to fix all.
In the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, the father uses windex as a cure all for almost all ailments. A particularly warm and funny movie highlighting the differences in cultures and their quirkiness, with lots of humor. An excellent family movie for all.
Bravo for remembering the example from the Greek wedding movie which showcased a number of truly side-splitting scenes I saw my Sicilian extended family over and over again – with almost the identical, personally invasive, small-talk exchanges. Laughed, and cried, much of the way through it.
Windex was the Papa’s go-to fix for whatever ailed.
That picture of the father walking the son – is darling. Swoon. That’s a real man.
Thank you to all the real men out there who choose to father well.
We moms can’t do it without you, though many of us have been forced to try.
Woo, it’s going in the June backside calendar 😜
-Bless you this Father’s Day, Woo❣️
Mercurochrome
My father taught me to shoot, hunt, ride. He saw and conveyed the beauty in small things. He told jokes and stories. I never doubted that he loved me, whatever might come. You cannot ask for much more.
??
Monkey blood???
Used stinging Merthiolate on cuts and butter on bruises.
Eli Lilly and Company stopped putting thiomersal(mercury poisoning) in its over-the-counter products (ending the practice in the mid-1980s), including the antiseptic Merthiolate.
My dad would use kerosene. I remember stepping on a nail once and he soaked my foot in kerosene. I’ve seen it frequently on others in the same sort of scrapes.
We always had Merthiolate and Mercurochrome. Dad was a coal miner and always had two products from Watkins: Black Diamond Linament and Black Salve.
Windex??? New one! We used hydrogen peroxide, and soap & water.
How I’m alive today I will never know[I really do, it is called by the grace of God] but growing up if you got a wasp or bee bite part of a plug of chewing tobacco was applied wet to the bite [Comanche recipe, I’m told]. Then when the stinging stopped a “coal oil” rag was wrapped around it. Same for stepping on a nail or got a cut[no tobacco] just coal oil rag. If you had a bad cough half a teaspoon of coal oil mixed with honey to make it go down cured the cough; or made you quit complaining about it….No one known by the family ever had an amputation or died of tetanus[ lock jaw ] during those years and I never had a tetanus shot until I was in college after a motorcycle wreck….Cg
my parents had a brown bottle with a simple label ‘Green Soap’ – never have found out what it really was but it was the go-to under the cabinet bottle we were told to grab to wash off whatever cut we had before bandages were even thought of.
I used to be so angry with parents who put their child 1-3 years old in daycare 50 hours a week. College educated parents who were difficult children and their difficult children were sent to teachers to try and fix. Eventually the parent or spouse would confess, “My Mother says I did that too.” Had one who would insist on wearing his shoes, boots, on the wrong feet. His Mother commented, ” Dad is the same way.”. Dad was an architect but very opinionated. The little boy was 3 years old and just screamed to communicate.
Happy father’s day right back at ya!!!!
Watkins sal
Watkins salve from the Watkins man traveling Iowa farms 😊 Good memories also of the Schwann man delivering ice cream 😋
water, peroxide and, being kids always out playing on the farm the pet dog would give it some licks too.
Laa ny ayarghyn sonney dhyt Ya’ll 🙂
HAPPY Fathers’ and Families’ Day, everyone!!! 🙂 🙂
The father’s role in his children’s lives cannot be overstated, and that needs to be more prominently emphasized today.
Lysol in the little brown bottle and castor oil. 😖 if it didn’t clean you the first time you just needed more. 😎